Straight-Up Interference
by savannavansmutsmut
Summary: Bella befriends Marcus, a mobster's son, and ends up interfering with a federal investigation. She's sent off to stay with Marcus's geeky antisocial uncle, who lives in a remote cabin, until things cool down with the Feds. It starts a little Marcus & Bella, but this is definitely a Bella & Edward story. AH Rated M for Lemons and Language.
1. Chapter 1

**STRAIGHT UP INTERFERENCE**

**This is not a Marcus/Bella story, but it kind of starts that way. This whole story is in Bella's point of view. **

**Again this is not beta'd, my lovely Dollybigmomma is still packing up to move. She has a really big house, if ya'll are wondering why it's taking so long. **

**Chapter 1 – Noticed**

I was almost free.

It was the first week of my senior year, and I was already excited for it to be over. Nine more months, and then I could get the hell out of my house, or more importantly, away from my parents. They drove me nuts. Not with their nagging of me, but with their nagging of each other. It was bad…really bad.

I didn't think they had realized it, but I'd figured out a long time ago that they were only married because of me, and because they felt it important to appear to be good Catholics, they stayed together. It was obvious to me they really hated each other. I didn't know if they fought with me around on purpose, but I avoided the house most days because of the way they grimaced at me, silently letting me know they would have rather not had me there, reminding them of why they'd had to get married in the first place.

That made three of us.

I shouldn't complain. I never went without the material things. I went to a private Catholic school, instead of a public one, and since I was in Marcus Volturi's class, we had no problems with bullies and jerks. I knew it seemed like it should have worked differently, but he had been quick to establish that he was the king of the school during our freshman year when he'd moved in. He made it very clear that no one was to start shit but him.

He didn't know it, but he was a lifesaver to a lot of us in the lower social rankings. He didn't threaten chicks, but he definitely had them all distracted. He was very hot, and he carried an air of power around him, which caused panties to drop as he walked past.

I wasn't as presumptuous as those other girls. I knew to keep my head down and out of his way. It wasn't that I wasn't experienced with boys, it was just that the experience I'd had was really bad. Of course, it was most likely because we were both inexperienced, and he was an ass. Mike and I had gone steady for three months, before our first time, which was on campus in the AV closet. It made him even more of an asshole. He just had to brag to his friends, which made them all want to take a crack at me. They made very crude comments as they passed, and Mike would just smile like a proud bastard. I slapped that smile right off his face.

That was the second time Marcus had stepped in. Mike didn't like getting slapped in front of his friends and roughly grabbed my shoulders. Marcus in turn, grabbed his neck and told him to let me go. Of course, he did, and I shouted that I didn't want to have anything else to do with him, and then I ran down the hall before I could be a witness to what happened next.

There was no question that Marcus had "family ties" to back him up, as in, it was his family that made the ties. I didn't know how that worked, but he was the oldest son of his family, and the way his buddies followed after him, you'd think he shit gold, so I guessed he was heading up in the family business.

Marcus wasn't a bad guy, and the way he eagle-eyed his baby sister two classes under us made him seem like a softy. I saw them fighting behind the school on my way to the office during class, and that girl had him backing up towards the wall until he finally shouted, "I'm telling Dad." That stopped her in her tracks, and I couldn't help but smirk. It was such a sibling "I'm telling on you" moment. If my parents weren't so messed up, I would've liked to have had someone to look out for, or to look out for me. Instead, I thanked God they hadn't inflicted themselves on another poor kid.

Of course, when he sat down next to me in history, I did my best to keep my eyes focused on my desk. Like I said, I tried to stay out of his way. Our teacher had other ideas about that, though, and I was assigned to do a history project with the person next to me, Marcus Volturi.

He looked over and smiled, "You look familiar…you a book nerd?" he asked, but it didn't sound like he was trying to be offensive.

"If you mean, do I do my schoolwork, then yes. As for looking familiar, we've gone to school together for the past four years and have been in several classes together."

That didn't seem to help him remember me, his eyes focused on my thighs and then breasts. "I still can't place you."

"We haven't fucked."

His eyes widened, "Oh." His patented smirk spread across his face. "And why haven't we become thusly acquainted?"

I shifted in my seat nervously, "Really, you're asking why you haven't fucked me, a 'book nerd?'"

"Hey, I like girls with brains, too." He reached over and squeezed my knee with his hot hand and made me jump. He noticed how uncomfortable I was and pulled his hand back. "You alright, Mary?"

"I'm not a Mary, just…" I let out a sigh, "Can we maybe work on our project?" I begged.

He actually looked concerned for a minute, but once I opened my book, it became abundantly clear that I would be doing the majority of this project on my own.

My next class was biology, and my partner was a new kid, or new…something. I wasn't usually a judgmental person, but this guy was weird. I was considered a bit of a geek on campus, but this guy was just wrong. He was large and well built, but he had a pocket protector. He had his sleeves rolled up to his mid forearm like an old guy doing a desk job, and he had on some glasses that he kept looking around, instead of through. His face was clean-shaven, but there was something about it that didn't look right. I couldn't put my finger on it. On top of that, his hair was insane. Now, I liked the bed-head look, but that wasn't what he was sporting. I think he'd tried for it, but ended up with the cowlicks-from-hell look.

I decided to watch him more closely. I was surprised when he seemed to move around the campus with ease, as if he knew the place like the back of his hand. In fact, a freshman stopped him and asked for directions, and he gave them without even a second thought. It would have been one thing if he knew where all his classes were, but it didn't make sense for him to know where the other classes were if he was really a new student to our school.

On the second day, I watched as he took his glasses off and turned them at an odd angle. He did this the rest of the week as well. Seeing this, I knew for damn sure that those glasses weren't on his face to help his sight. He did this at lunch every day, sitting two tables down from Marcus and his crew. That was probably the closest anyone ever considered sitting to them, unless you were a girl that sat on their lap.

Something was up with this guy, and I didn't know if I should tell Marcus or not. We hadn't actually spoken since that first day he was assigned as my partner. I guess he figured I wasn't interested in having sex with him and lost interest in helping me with anything concerning history.

I was making my way to the office again, when I passed the familiar rear side of the school the kids thought was so private. That was bullshit, by the way.

Jacob, the weirdo who sat next to me in biology, was there, talking on his phone as he paced back and forth. He had his glasses in his hand and started pointing them at and over some bushes as he spoke. Something was definitely up.

I was proven correct right after the last bell rang. I thought about going to that "private spot" and seeing if Jacob had left anything behind. I got my answer immediately. The bushes he had pointed toward earlier that day were suddenly dark. You should've been able to see the afternoon sun through them, but that wasn't the case.

I watched as Marcus and his cronies went to their spot for a smoke. I hoped it was just a plan ole cigarette. Jacob was hot on their heels and acting like an idiot. They leaned back against the school house, not saying anything. I was considering leaving, when something Jacob said made Marcus's hand flinch. He and both his buddies flexed their fists. I knew I had to do something fast, before whoever Jacob had hiding behind the bushes jumped out and hurt them.

"Marcus!" I shouted and interrupted the would-be fight. He didn't look away from Jacob, but that didn't stop me from running up in front of him.

When I placed my hands on his chest, he looked down at me surprised. "We have history together. You remember…that report?" I tried to be seductive. I think it worked, because I got his attention. "I've been doing some research." I slipped my hand up in his hair, pulled his face down, and whispered in his ear, "Consensus says that your dick is just as good as your tongue."

His buddies overheard and fist bumped each other, like I had just said that about them.

"Really?" Marcus didn't even notice the smirking idiots. "Where did you do this research?"

"Boys aren't the only ones who talk in the locker room. So, you mind coming with me to make some history?" I palmed his dick for good measure. I would get him out of there, even if I had to lead him out by his cock. He'd been good to us lower on the social ladder, so it was the least I could do to repay him.

He looked up at his guys, "It's time to disburse," he said with a nod, and they all left without another word.

"Hey, you…you…your mother was a goomah!" Jacob tried to goad him.

Marcus turned, but I used the force of his movement to push him back against the school, then I jumped on him and clamped my knees on his hips, so I could reach his ear. "There's someone in the bushes. You have to get out of here."

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, holding me in place against him. His eyes darted to the bushes. He turned and walked away, squeezing me a little more with each taunt Jacob threw at him. We finally made it out of earshot to his car. He set me on the hood and looked down at me hard.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Step in like that. You know that was most likely the Feds. Your interference with whatever they're up to will probably piss them off."

I tipped my head to the side. "That Jacob guy is an asshole."

My response caused him to laugh. "So, history report. We've really got one of those to do, don't we."

"Yes, and it's due next week. Any chance you'll give me a hand?"

His hands that were on either side of me moved to my thighs, "I can definitely give you a hand." I pulled back a little, and his eyes snapped up to mine. "You change your mind?" he looked at me confused. "You were all over me a minute ago."

"I had to do something to get you out of there." I felt my face turn red hot, and I couldn't read his expression.

He stepped back, took my hand, and helped me off his car then opened his car door.

"I live just…" I pointed to my parent's brownstone across the street, but he pulled me to his car.

"You're not going home." He waited for me to get in and smiled when I finally gave in. I was a nervous ball of energy and twisted the shit out of my backpack strap. "You can relax. I won't do anything you don't want me to."

"I know." I wondered if he'd heard it, but the huge smile on his face made me believe he had.

"So why don't you like Jacob? You seem to be open-minded."

"Open-eyed is more like it. He isn't a student," I answered as he pulled up to a huge house.

"Really?"

I looked down at my lap and wondered if he'd think I was insane. He opened my door and helped me out of the car, then nodded to some guy who was sitting in the car across the street.

He didn't let go of my hand as he pulled me to his front door, and once it was opened, I heard his mother shout for him.

"Marky, what the hell have you been doing? You're late. You know your dad doesn't like Vanessa to drive home unattended."

"We got company, Ma," he answered back, and his mother flew into the room like her ass was on fire.

Her worried look changed to a smile when her eyes landed on me. "Who do we have here?" she reached her hand out to me.

"Isabella, I'm his history project partner."

"Isabella, that's a nice Italian name. You are Italian, right?"

I nodded, and she smiled widely at Marcus, as if implying something. He smiled back, and I would swear he blushed. I didn't think that was possible.

"What the hell is going on?" A large man that looked like an older copy of Marcus walked in. "What company?" he asked holding a gun in his hand. If I hadn't expected it to be there, I probably would have been nervous.

His mother slapped the man's shoulder and stepped in front of the hand with the gun. He shrugged, "What's the matter? It's registered."

"Marcus, our Marky has brought home a nice Italian girl."

His eyes snapped to me, and I quickly looked over at Marcus, or Marky, as his mother called him, and squeezed his hand.

"Who's this girl, Italian, eh, what's your name, honey?"

"Isabella Marie Swan," I answered timidly. ''Marky" seemed to be finding this whole thing hilarious, and it pissed me off. I'd show him hilarious, his nuts getting kicked by my foot, now that'd be hilarious.

"You watch her. She's steaming, this one, Marky. I recognize the look from your mother. I suggest you cup'um or you ain't having kids," he snickered. "It's very nice to meet you and your fiery Italian streak," he winked at me.

"Hey, Dad, can I have a word with you in private?"

I ended up sitting at their kitchen table with milk and cookies. "So, is my Marky treating you good?"

I didn't know how to answer his mother. "Uh, yeah, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"He's just my partner for our history project."

She sat down and looked at me carefully. "Honey, I know my son, and I know he doesn't do history."

Well, she was right on that one. "He felt like he should help out this time."

Her eyes narrowed at me. I really didn't want to get on this woman's bad side. "He felt like he needed to help. What do you have on my boy?"

"Nothing, Mom, settle down." Thank god Marcus came back and settled her down. "She got me out of a mess today, and I thought I'd repay her."

His mother let out a huff, staring at him for a moment, and then she nodded her head. "Fine, door open."

"You really want to hear that, Ma?"

"History, you're supposed to be doing history!" she shouted as he dragged me down the hall.

"Or making it," he snickered into my ear, making me shiver.

This boy was trouble, in more ways than I realized.


	2. Chapter 2

**I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for ****Leukemia ****& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them. I had to triple check how to spell Leukemia, and I honestly hope I never have to know how to spell it by heart.**

**Chapter 2 - Sense**

I really started to worry. I'd never been in a guy's room. Not even Mike's. I suspected Marcus's room would look like a bachelor pad or something. I was surprised that it didn't. There weren't even naked women posters.

"Disappointed?" he asked

"Huh, no, just surprised."

"My mother puts my laundry away. We don't upset her, or my father will have something to say about it, and that's the last thing you want to happen." He sank back on his bed, "So, you got a history book or something? I didn't bother picking up mine."

"You didn't pick it up? How do you plan on passing?"

"Class projects are sixty percent of the grade. I know when they're assigning them and sit next to the smartest-looking person in class. I figured you'd be pissed, but wouldn't want to fail, so," he shrugged, "Easy 'A' for you, equals passing grade for me."

His words hurt me, but I wasn't sure why. I turned away and grabbed my history book from my bag, then set it on the very unused-looking desk in the corner. I pulled out the folder of facts I had collected and the outline of the project, then started to work quietly. I was afraid if I spoke or made a sound, I'd burst into tears. It was so silly how upset I was that Marcus Volturi had only noticed me because he wanted me to do his history project.

I heard movement behind me and felt him lean on the side of my chair. "So, don't I need to look at something or whatever?"

I took a deep breath and hid my silly hurt feelings. "You know, this would probably go a lot faster if I did do it by myself." I started putting my stuff away, and he grabbed my hand.

"Hold up. You don't sound right."

I paused for a moment and tried to gather myself. "Could you give me a ride home? I guess if you can't, I can walk."

"No, I'll take you." He looked at me like he was trying to figure something out. I couldn't handle it. I turned my back, so I wouldn't have to face him.

"You fix that." I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard his father's voice. I looked up just in time to see him pull the door closed.

Marcus started to pace the room "Damn, him and his thing!" he flailed an arm around apparently upset by his father's 'thing.' He turned to me, upset. "Sit," he said it in such a way that it left no room to disobey. "I knew I was right. You're upset about something. My dad has a sixth sense about this shit. He said something about having it to keep his balls."

I focused on the book bag in my lap, and watched his shoes pace back and forth from the corner of my eye.

"Just say it already," he snapped and made me jump. I had seen him at the beginning stages of anger, but I always knew to get the hell out of there before he really blew up. I was worried I wouldn't get a chance to escape this time.

"It's nothing."

"Don't you fucking lie to me!" he stormed closer. I didn't think he would ever hit me, but it was very unnerving, and it kind of pissed me off that he put me on edge.

"I'm not lying!" I nearly shouted in his face. "My problem would register as nothing on your scale, so as I said, it's nothing!" I shoved him back and stood up, then slung my bag over my shoulder.

I turned to the door, only to see him standing there blocking it with a smile. "My father was right. A girl with fire is so much hotter than the ones that fall at your feet." I looked down, unable to hold his stare. "Don't be like that. Who would've thought quiet little Isabella Marie would be like this." I felt his hand cup my cheek, and he turned my face up to his. I was surprised to see want in his eyes, want for me. I hadn't even talked dirty to him. Then he went and ruined it all. "So, you gonna tell me what pissed you off?"

I yanked his hand from my cheek and glared hard at him for reminding me that this asshole only wanted me to do his homework.

"Whoa, hey, don't be like that."

I had my hand on the doorknob, but he covered mine with his. He pulled it back against me and pressed my whole body back against his. His other hand reached out and locked the door, causing my heart to jump in panic. His face was in my hair and then my neck. I did my best to stay focused on being mad at him and getting the door unlocked.

"I've never seen a chick so hot with her clothes on." He pulled me tighter against him and proved he wasn't lying.

I reached for the lock with my other hand, but he spun me around and pinned me to the door. I flicked the lock, ready to flee the first moment he let me up. I just had to get in my right mind to do it.

"Push me away, push me off of you and I'll stop," he whispered as his hands moved around my body, and his lips hit my neck.

"You don't want me."

"Yes, I do."

"Just for homework," I was able to squeeze out a moan. "You never noticed me."

His hands made me lose my fire. "I want you for so much more than homework." His lips claimed mine, and any thought of being mad was thrown out the window. He moved us to the bed and was over me, tugging on my clothes. I did nothing to help him. I honestly didn't think I was ready to have sex again, and I knew it wouldn't be special to him. I'd just be someone that got him off like the rest of the whores at school, but the way he was grinding on me was heavenly. I couldn't stop my hands from grabbing his ass and ground him against my pussy over and over again.

He'd worked my shirt open, and his lips were all over my bra-clad breasts. He must have been a panty removal expert, because his hands were under my skirt and in them one moment, and then they were gone. He was moving so fast, and it felt so damn good, but I wasn't ready to do this again, especially not with someone who wasn't my boyfriend.

His fingers were on me, in me, owning me, making me hate and love them all at the same time. He was so good with them, because he was so practiced. It was a double-edged sword, making me come, and making me want to stop him all at the same time. My body stiffened and arched up into him, his teeth clamped down on my nipple, and then I felt him press up against me. I saw him reach for his nightstand, and I started to panic. I had to find a way to tell him no. I wasn't ready for that.

"I said door open!" his mother shouted, slamming it open. She glared at Marcus's ass and shook her head. "I knew you didn't do history." She spun on her heels and marched out.

He dropped his head to my shoulder and started laughing. "I've never had that happen before." He dropped down, nearly crushing me. "I'm sorry, baby, but my mom just killed it for me."

He rubbed his nose across my nipples before he pulled my shirt shut.

"It's probably for the best." I kind of hoped he hadn't heard me.

He did, though, and tipped my chin up so we were looking eye to eye. He didn't say anything, just cocked an eyebrow at me.

"I've never..." I felt my cheeks heat up, "Not out of a relationship."

"Why didn't you stop me before, baby? I was ready to slam into you when my mom popped in."

My eyes darted to the hand that was playing in my hair. "You have very nice fingers."

He burst out laughing and dropped his hand back between my legs. "You like that?"

I moaned like the whore I wished I was. He kissed my cheek, neck, and then my breasts, all while he used those fingers. It didn't take long for me to lose it again. I had come twice now, and I started to feel guilty about not getting him off. He leaned down and kissed my lips. When he pulled back, my eyes focused on his cock that was once again hard. He grinned as he put himself away, "Don't worry, I won't pressure you. Tanya is meeting me in an hour. I'll have her take care of it."

For some reason, that made me smile and him chuckle.

The next day, when I walked past him in the hall, I felt a pinch on my ass. I looked back and saw him smile at me, before he turned back to his conversation. He wasn't trying to seduce me; it was more of his way of saying, "I see you." He had taken what I'd said to heart about him never noticing me, and he let me know he knew I was there.

When I got to my biology class, asshat faker Jacob was sitting in his seat waiting for me. I pulled out my books and ignored him.

"So, you know that Marcus guy?" he tried to make small talk.

I wasn't going to give him anything but shit. "Every girl on campus knows who Marcus and his big cock are, now step off."

I scooted away from him, and he scooted closer to me.

"You seemed a little more than just a goomah to him."

I wasn't sure what that term meant, but I guessed it was a whore of some kind.

I was surprised when the kid behind him punched the back of his head. "He ain't married, fucker."

"Hey, I'm going to report you," Jacob grouched like a pussy.

"For what?"

"That was assault."

I looked at the guy who had punched him, one of Marcus's cronies. "What the hell is he talking about? I didn't see anyone lay a finger on him."

The guy nodded at me with a smile.

Jacob scowled. "Now you listen here, you don't know what you're getting mixed up in."

I pulled my ear buds out of my bag and popped them in, making a show of ignoring him.

I knew he was up to something, so I had to keep a close eye on this guy if I was going to keep Marcus out of trouble. Luckily for me, I was a student aid for two of my periods; hence the constant trips to the office.

I walked into the office and saw Jacob talking to the principal. When his eyes landed on me, he started pointing like a crazed man. I made a show of looking scared and gave them a wide berth. The principal frowned and shook his head no. Jacob stormed out, and Principal Stewart called me in. "Bella, do you mind stepping into my office for a moment?"

I gave a worried glance to Jacob's retreating form and skittered into the principal's office, playing the part of a shaken-up schoolgirl. "What's with that guy? He scares me. First he harasses me in biology, and then I thought he was going to attack me when I came in."

"Mr. Black will not be attacking you," he tried to reassure me. "Can you tell me how he was harassing you in class?"

"He kept asking me about Marcus Volturi. Marcus is my partner for my history project. That guy found out and was getting in my face, asking about him. I told him I didn't know anything, and I kept trying to move my chair away from him, but he kept moving closer. I asked him to back off, but he wouldn't leave me alone. Now, Sir, I know we aren't allowed to listen to our MP3 players at school, but I only live across the way, and I listen to it while I wait for the school doors to open in the morning, so that's why I had it and used it in hopes of him getting a clue. I didn't want him to bother me anymore. I put in my ear buds and scooted away some more, and he finally seemed to get the message. If you have to confiscate my MP3 player, I understand," I moved to take it out of my bag.

"No, Bella, it's fine. Mr. Black just seems to be having a difficult time fitting in here. I won't stand for him harassing other students. I'm going to have to have a talk with his parents."

"Thank you. I don't know what I did to upset him."

"I'm sure it was nothing," Principal Stewart smiled.

I nodded, looking like a relieved student. "Was there something you needed delivered?" I was the interoffice postman of sorts.

He glanced at a stack of envelopes on the corner of his desk warily and then handed them to me. "Could you please deliver these to Mrs. Caster's room?"

I picked them up and wondered why he seemed so upset about them. "Of course."

I grabbed the stack, and as soon as I was out the door, I took a closer look at the envelopes. I didn't recognize the first two names, but I did the third. It was for the parents of Marcus Volturi.

It was then the course of my life truly changed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is another chapter not beta'd, because I'm just throwing them out there right now. Remember, this is a Bella and Edward story; she's only with Marcus for the first part of it.**

**Chapter 3 – Revolving Door**

I knew there was something wrong with those letters once I saw Marcus's name on one, and the other two were sporting Italian-sounding names as well. I took the letters to my locker and decided to find Marcus.

I walked down the hall and tried to remember what class he was in. I was in luck when I saw him tumble out of the janitor's closet. I knew it was messed up, but it made me laugh. He heard me and gave me his usual smirk in return. He turned to the girl, giving her a leveling stare, "You're late for class," he dismissed her.

"Just who I was looking for," I walked up to him.

The sneaky bastard gave my ass another pinch. "You were looking for me? You want a turn with my fingers? I should probably disinfect them first after that." He actually looked a little disgusted.

"How can you get off when you're so grossed out?"

"I have a dick, and it likes to go off," he shrugged, and I wasn't able to hide my amused snicker. "Now, what do you need, baby?"

"I don't need anything. I have something I was supposed to deliver to you in class, but I don't quite think it's safe."

"Not safe?"

"No, it came from the principal's office, after that douche, Jacob, was in there. I don't like the looks of it, Marcus. I always trust my gut, and my gut is telling me the letters are trouble."

"Show them to me," he looked to my bag.

"I left them in my locker. I didn't want them around us when we talked about them. I don't know if a bug can fit in an envelope, or if they were just trying to get your prints or what, but there's something wrong with them. I just know it." I could feel myself getting worked up.

He put his hand on my shoulder and ducked his head, so he could look me in the eyes. "Hey, don't worry. I know how to handle this. I'm going to make a call, and we're going to go get those letters. I'll have someone that's trained to look at this stuff pick it up, alright?"

I didn't realize I was close to tears until I sniffled. It was silly, really, but he was my only sort-of friend, since the rest of the geeks had taken Mike's side in things. The guys were all asses, and the geek girls would never turn their backs on potential dates.

Marcus wrapped his arm around me and kissed my head. "We deal with this stuff all the time, baby. There really is nothing to worry about." He pulled out his phone while he led me to my locker. He made a zipping motion, letting me know I should keep quiet around the letters.

Once I had them, he walked me to the school doors and nodded to a big black SUV. I thought it was the Feds at first, but the guy who stepped out was definitely not a Fed. I took a deep breath, steeled my resolve, and let Marcus know with a look that I had his back.

When I stepped out of the building, I looked left and right to make sure it was all clear, and then I scurried over to the guy. He gave me a surprisingly friendly smile and took the letters from me. I turned on my heels and ran back toward the school. The doors opened just as I hit the steps, and Marcus caught me in his arms. I hadn't even realized I had started to cry until he started to comfort me.

"Hey, I've got you." He surprised me by picking me up and carrying me down the hall. He slipped in the back door of the library and took me to what was known as the make-out corner. He actually kicked a couple out of it and sat down on the ground with me. "Why the tears?"

I put my face in his neck and tried to calm myself down, as he rubbed my back. "PMS?" I offered.

"Really?" he leaned back to see if I was lying.

I giggled and shook my head no. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

He petted my hair and kissed my forehead. "Don't you worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"Maybe in a fight, but I don't like that jerk being at _my_ school, messing with _my_ friend."

He squeezed me a little tighter. "I don't know if it's a good idea for you to be my friend."

"I get to choose who my friends are, and what better friend than another Italian? You know your parents love me."

"Christ, don't get me started on them. My father's pushing for an heir, and my mom was disappointed that we weren't actually doing schoolwork."

"You're dad wants an heir?"

"Yeah, he wants me to tap that and not wrap that," he pinched my ass.

My eyes widened. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Look at you, dropping the f-bomb."

"I'm not having your babies."

"Why not?" he feigned hurt.

"You talked about disinfecting your fingers a few minutes ago. Do I really have to give you another reason?"

"Fair enough," he pulled me back against him. "Thanks for looking out for me."

"I know you'd do the same. Lucky for you, I don't have the Feds on my ass. I think I'm getting the raw end of the deal here," I teased.

He frowned in response. "We do have your back. My family's very grateful that you're looking out for me."

"Like I said, that's what friends do."

"Now I feel like a fucker for not helping with the history project."

"Really, can you even read?"

He scowled at me. "I read, and I'll prove it to you when we go to my house after school."

"I'm not changing my mind about having your babies."

"Get on, you," he helped me off the ground. "Meet me at my car, and don't be late. I catch shit if I don't stay on Nessa's tail."

"I know." I jumped up and kissed his cheek, before he gave my ass one last pinch.

I was at his car just before the last bell rang. His sister was parked next to him, and she gave me a smile. I was surprised she even acknowledged me. She might not have been in our class, but she definitely wielded the Volturi name with just as much power as Marcus did.

Marcus jogged up and kissed his sister's cheek, and then he pinched my ass as he opened the door for me. I wondered if he had an obsession with asses or something. He obviously was an ass man, judging by the way he constantly went after mine.

When we walked in the door, he shouted to his mother, "I have Isabella with me, and I brought my history book home this time."

She stepped into the foyer and pointed a wooden spoon at him, "Door open." I nodded in agreement, and he went about teasing his mother again.

"You're going to make her hate me," I griped.

"Not possible," he said, but didn't elaborate.

I took my seat over at his empty desk and pulled out our history project. I had actually gotten pretty far on it. "You mind if I step out and disinfect myself?" he wiggled his fingers at me, and I giggled.

"Go on, and I suggest you don't touch yourself until you clean up. That's most likely contagious," I pointed to his hand, and he held it out in front of him like it was the plague. He had no idea how close to the plague it really was.

I was deep into our project, when I saw something get set down next to me on the desk. I nearly leapt out of my skin. "Sorry," his mother gave me a soft smile. "So the history project is real. I thought he was making it up to get you into his room and, well..."

I shook my head, "No, that was a bit of a fluke. No offense, but when in my right mind, I wouldn't do that with your son…not that he isn't a nice boy, but he happens to be a very nice boy to the majority to the female population at our school. I'm not…you know...I don't..." My face turned redder by the minute. She didn't respond to anything I had said, and I wondered if she thought I was lying. "I'm really not like that. He caught me off guard, and I just…" I trailed off, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

She chuckled. "Oh, I know what you mean, those Volturi men can catch you off guard," was all she said before she left the room.

I dropped my head to the desk and tried to settle down.

I heard grunting and looked up to see Marcus's dad do a couple of hip thrusts as he looked past me. Behind me was his son in nothing but a towel. Then his dad closed the door on us again.

"Sorry about that."

"I guess you weren't joking about him wanting an heir."

He let out a black chuckle and shook his head, "Unfortunately, I wasn't."

He dropped his towel, and I covered my eyes, "Holy Mother of God, what are you doing?"

"Getting dressed."

"Well, you get dressed over there with that baby making stick!"

I saw his bare feet come into view. "Sorry, baby, but my dresser is over here."

I heard the door open, but still refused to move my hands to see who it was. "Christ, Marky, no wonder she's a hot mess. Put on some damn clothes!" It was his mother. I hoped she believed me when I said I wasn't one of her son's whores. She grabbed my arm, careful not to pull my hands away from my face, until I heard the door close behind us.

"Sorry, I didn't know he was going to come out like that, and Mr. Volturi shut the door again." I didn't want her to think I had disobeyed her rule.

She glared over my shoulder.

"What, she's a nice girl," I heard his father defend.

"Yeah, she is a nice girl, and she deserves to be treated as such, without you pushing your horny son on her!"

"What, I'm not _your_ son?" Marcus teased his mother.

"_That_ is him," she pointed at his crotch, nodding toward his father. "Your eyes, they came from me. I'll claim them, but the pants, that's all your father."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," his father complained.

"Don't get me started!" she snapped at him, and his father smirked.

His parents were fighting, but it was nothing like when my parents fought. They almost seemed to enjoy it. I stood there and watched them banter back and forth for a while, until his father snatched up his mother in a steamy kiss.

Marcus put his arm around me. "That's our cue to leave. You don't want to see what comes next."

When we got to his room, he shut the door.

"The door is supposed to be open."

"Trust me; with those to going at it, you want it closed." I wasn't sure if I was ready to be with him behind a closed door again, and I think he knew that. He had a way of making me uncomfortable in the most wonderful way.

"Does it being closed make you nervous?" he leaned over my shoulder and breathed down my neck. My whole body heated up at his words. His hands found my hips and worked their way up my body. I couldn't help but respond to him. His palms grazed my nipples. "Your body seems to want the door closed, doesn't it?"

My breathing picked up. "Um…"

"Do you want to ride my fingers, baby?" He kissed my neck, and his arms wrapped around me, pinching my nipples. "Do you want my finger in that pretty little pussy?"

I started to lose focus. He had a way of making me forget why I kept him at arm's length.

He turned the chair around so I was facing him. His lips were on mine with vigor that he didn't have the last time. It was a little unsettling, but felt too good to stop. He kissed me and lifted me from the chair. I wasn't sure what he was doing at first, but when he reached under my skirt and my panties hit the floor, I didn't care.

He didn't undress himself, and for that I was grateful. There was no pressure with him. I was safe.

Once he was done making me moan out his name, he stuck his fingers in his mouth. The smirk that crossed his face shocked me. "Yup, I knew it."

"Knew what?" I wondered if there was some sort of pussy juice test I didn't know about.

"You taste good." He leaned over and kissed me deeply, then made his way down my neck, undoing my shirt.

He took his time as he moved down my body. He flipped up my skirt and fully exposed me to him. He smiled up at me as he sucked on my inner thigh for a moment. Mike had never done that. Marcus's mouth worked its way up to my center. Holy Mary, Mother of God, he put his mouth on me, and it was amazing. The way he kissed my mouth was nothing compared to the way he kissed me down there. The passion he put into it and pulled from me at the same time was overwhelming. I couldn't control myself and came hard, screaming his name. Once he was satisfied with his "'work", he slid my panties back on me and put the skirt of my uniform back in place. He nipped at my breast before he buttoned up my shirt, helped me sit up again, and turned the chair back to the desk. "Now, we work on homework."

He walked over to the desk and adjusted himself. Again, I wondered if I should get him off somehow. He noticed me looking and pulled me to him. He kissed my cheek, "No pressure, baby, I got Katie lined up to ride later tonight. You know I'd never push you. I just like making you cum," he said with a shrug and picked up his history book.

"You seriously need a turnstile instead of a fly on those pants of yours," I giggled. He just smirked and waggled his brows.

His mom opened the door a few minutes later while she patted her hair, "Door open."

"Yeah, well, door closed for you and Dad, please. We don't need a porno sound track to study to."

"You don't speak to your mother like that," his father snapped.

One would've thought badass Marcus would have gotten in his dad's face, but he apologized to his mom immediately. She told him to come give her a kiss. Of course, this being my fucked-up life, she stopped him when he got close to her face. "Is that pussy on your breath? Christ, boy, can't you leave that poor girl alone for a minute?"

I was so embarrassed. I wanted to disappear, but I had to settle with hiding behind the stack of books.

His father patted his shoulder, "That's my boy."

"Dad, please. Mom?" he sounded like he was asking her for help.

"Honey, leave the boy alone. You were twenty-two before you knocked me up."

Thankfully, the rest of their conversation became muffled as they walked down the hall. I couldn't help but smile, though. Marcus was lucky. At least his parents loved each other, and they obviously loved him. That was more than I could say about mine.


	4. Chapter 4

**My eyes will have to be enough for now, sorry.**

**Chapter 4 – In a Pinch**

Over the next few days, I made several observations.

Marcus never kissed girls on the lips. I thought that odd. He had kissed me several times in his room, but I wondered if it was just in the heat of the moment, or maybe they had just given him blowjobs and he didn't want to taste that. I didn't know, but he didn't kiss them.

I was sure he was an ass man, but he didn't pinch anyone else's ass but mine. He would pat or spank, but that patented pinch seemed to be reserved for me.

Marcus never approached girls. I didn't know why I hadn't noticed that before. They flocked to him in groves, grabbing at his crotch and whispering to him. He didn't get that really horny look, either, like I saw when we were alone. He would just nod to his buddies and walk off. He wasn't all over them like he was me, but again, we were in the privacy of his room. I didn't know what happened behind closed doors with them.

He also had taken to putting his arm around me and kissing my head whenever we ran into each other in the hallway. I didn't think much of it at first, but then I started to get a few nasty glares from girls.

Further observation proved that he never actually put his arm around any other girls. They would slip under his arm or wrap it around themselves. He wouldn't pull away, but it wasn't something he outwardly did with them, but he did do that with me in public.

We also would laugh every time I caught him tumbling out of some closet with a girl. I didn't know why I found that so amusing. It just was. He was always holding his hands out like he was grossed out, and he would smirk at me as he did it. I didn't know why he was fucking half the female population, but I had a feeling it was just for show, or maybe because it was expected of him. He'd clean up, and then he'd walked me to wherever I was going.

He didn't notice that the more I caught him and laughed, the angrier the girls became. One chick actually scowled when she heard my giggling. She grabbed his face and made to kiss him, but he caught her chin before she could make contact. "Go clean that out," he scolded and pushed her away, annoyed.

I teased him, telling him it was his own fault for being irresistible. He wanted to grab hold of me after that, but it was my turn to hold him at bay. "Disinfect and protect, don't let your junk go unchecked."

"Is that some sort of dick jingle?" he chuckled.

"It should be, and it's very fitting in this case," I pointed to his fingers. "Oh, and Waterpic after you lick. Those pubic hairs between the teeth are unsightly."

He rolled his eyes, "That treat's only for you." He gave my ass a pinch with his clean hand and went to clean up in the boys' locker room.

"I knew there was something going on with you two," Jacob surprised me when he stepped in front of me in the hallway. He had been moved out of my class, after I had complained to Principal Stewart.

"He's just a guy I work on my history project with."

"No, I have a feeling the tapes will show something different," he pointed to the security camera.

"You'd be wrong." I stepped around him, but he grabbed my arm roughly. I glared at him. "You really want to let go of me. I'm not above making a scene to protect myself."

"You listen to me, little girl, you don't know who you're messing with," he jerked me closer to him.

"Is there a problem here, Ms. Swan?"

I had never been so relieved to hear the principal's voice in my life. "Principal Stewart," I gave him a shaky smile, "Could you please walk me to my class?" I gave a nervous glance to Jacob, causing Principal Stewart to frown.

"Of course, Ms. Swan,"

"You mark my words, the tapes will tell!" Jacob shouted after me.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" Principal Stewart asked.

"He saw me talking to Marcus in the hall a minute ago. He stumbled out of hiding with some blonde girl. I can't remember her name. Maybe Jacob thought my laughing at Marcus was something else. Marcus has shown interest in me, but I'm not one of those girls, Sir."

"I know, Bella, I'm sorry Jacob is causing you trouble. I think it's time I have another chat with him." He opened my door for me and made sure I was excused for my tardiness. Being teacher's pet was good, but being principal's pet was even better.

I was crossing the parking lot toward home, when I heard Marcus call my name. I turned to see him with his arm draped over his little sister. Shouting across the campus parking lot was not an option in our odd friendship, so I walked quickly to meet up with him and his sister.

"Hey, what's up?"

"My mother wants to know how the history project is coming." His little sister seemed to find that amusing.

"Well, it's almost done, so I'd say it's coming along fine."

"Do you want to come over and work on it again?" His knuckles brushed my cheek and made them flush.

"You know, you never did prove you could read," I pointed out.

"I opened the book."

"Ah, but there's more to reading than opening and holding a book."

"He's got some Playboys he does more than open and hold," his sister teased.

"Get on, you!" he shoved her away from him.

She burst out laughing, "They have articles, don't they?"

Marcus straightened up and pulled on his shirt sleeve cuff. "Just so happens they do." He turned his nose up at her and then gave me the smile of a gentleman. "I'd happily read my Playboy magazines to you, if you'd like."

I was sure he was trying to get a rise out of me or something, but I had gotten more comfortable around him, so I turned the joke on him. "I think I'd like that. Do you have the summer issues? Beach boobs sound good right about now." I swear I tried my hardest to keep a straight face, but his sister was laughing so hard at his expression, I cracked.

It took the dirty boy a moment to realize I was joking. He grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. He gave my ass a smack as he walked over to his car, then he gave my ass a pinch like usual and sat me in the passenger side. He leaned over me and kissed my cheek, then whispered in my ear, "Just you wait. I'll have you begging once I get you alone."

I was nervous and excited. It was crazy, really. We were just friends. He was literally a man whore. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had a big stash of cash somewhere, because he was being paid for doling out orgasms like candy.

"What are you thinking?"

"That the girls should be paying you for your closet services," I answered truthfully.

I expected to find a smirk on his face, but he frowned.

I nudged his shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to say, you're very talented with your fingers. If you ever stopped sharing them, I think the female population would revolt.

"Are you part of the female population?" he glanced at me as he drove. Before I could answer him, he had his hand on my thigh, inching its way up under my skirt. "Well?" he asked in that voice that made my skin shiver.

"Yes," I gasped out as he came in contact with my hot flesh.

He dipped a finger and then sucked on it, keeping his eyes focused on the road. I was a mess by the time he pulled up to his house. I wanted his mom to be gone and for him to throw me down on his bed. I realized later that night, it was probably for the best that she met us at the door.

His mother sat us down at the kitchen table for a snack. I was quietly focused on my cookies, when Marcus bumped my shoulder. "Hey, they asked you a question, babe. You alright?"

"I'm sorry. I was thinking about how to fit all the project pictures onto one piece of poster board. I may have gone a little overboard," I confessed.

He laughed, and his mother surprised me when she hugged me around my shoulders. "You don't mind him. What you got in your head will always be more important than what he's looking for." She kicked the chair he was tipping in and caused it to fall. He quickly scrambled to his feet. "What have I told you about my chairs? You break it, and I'll beat you with what's left."

He sat up straight and let out a huff, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good, now finish your food while I talk to Isabella about the winter formal."

"What?" I looked at her and Vanessa shocked.

"I was telling my mom about my dress."

"That's…nice?" I was a little confused as to why I was being included in this conversation.

"Yeah, Mario is going to wear a matching jacket instead of a tie."

"Mario?" Marcus jumped to his feet, "Like hell you're going with him!"

"Shut your mouth. Your father's already approved the date."

"He won't when I get done with him."

He started to leave the table, when his mother grabbed his arm. "You let this be. Don't ever question your father," she hissed in warning without a hint a fear herself. "Do you really think your father would ever let anything happen to your sister?"

He sat back in his chair scowling. "I'm coming with. Me, Frankie and Vinnie will be your escorts."

Vanessa looked like she was going to throw a chair at him, but thought better of it when she glanced at her mom. I would have to find out what was up with the chairs. "You can't do that! You can't ruin this! I'll…I'll…"

"What, tell Daddy? Because he sure as hell is going to like my idea better than you running off with that…"

"Enough!" his mother cut in. "Sit, now," she glared them both down, and they sat back in their respective seats. "Marky, don't harass your sister. You'll go with her, because…"

"Mom," Vanessa whined.

"You really think your dad is going to tell him no?"

"I hate you!" she shouted, and then ran out of the room.

"Jesus, Marky, what do you have against Mario Scarpino? Should I be telling your father something?"

"Scarpino? I thought you guys were talking about Mario Barroni."

"What in hell made you think we'd let our baby girl anywhere near a Barroni?"

He laughed. "For a minute, I thought you'd both lost your minds. I'm cool with Scarpino, but I'm still tagging along."

His mother smiled, patting his cheek. "You're such a good brother." She picked up our empty plates and walked out of the room.

"So, you want to go to bed, I mean my room?" I knew the slip was on purpose, because his hand was moving up my thigh again. I really needed to finish our history project, and there was no way in hell I was doing anything with his mother in the house. It seemed that every time he touched me, his parents found out. It was humiliating.

The cocky fool tipped back in his mother's chair again, so I kicked it over, sending him sprawling. "Your mother said not to tip in her chairs. As for heading to your room, no. We need a larger surface to lay out all our pictures. There's not enough room in there."

His mother came in wearing a huge smile and quickly wiped down the table. She stopped and kissed my cheek, "You're such a good Italian girl." I suspected she'd overheard our exchange.

Marcus actually pouted the whole time I unloaded my bag. When I took out the last of the stuff, I realized I had forgotten my poster board at home. I let out an annoyed sigh and fell back into my chair.

"What is it? You change your mind and want to move to my room?"

"Really, that's what you get from my frustrated sigh? It didn't dawn on you that there might be something wrong here that can't be fixed in a bedroom?"

"Hey, I work well in closets, too."

"If your mother didn't love these chairs so much, you'd have one over your head." I got up and stretched, before I opened the file to put all the pictures back in.

"Wait, what are you doing? Come on, Isabella, you can't be so pissed at me that you'd leave."

"Hey, genius, take a good hard look at the table. Now tell me what we're missing that we need for our project?"

"You got all the pictures, and you were right; there's a shitload more than you need."

"Yes, and don't you think we're going to have a hard time making them fit."

"I can make it fit," he purred as he pressed up against me.

I elbowed his gut and shoved him away. The last thing I needed was him clouding my mind with his mother in earshot. "Where are we going to put the pictures?"

"On the poster…" Recognition finally hit him.

"I left the poster board at my house. I didn't know you were going to help with this part of the project, and so I planned on doing it alone in my room."

"You do it alone in your room, huh?" he started to push up on me again.

"Seriously, does the brain in your head ever work, or is your dick always in control?"

"They try and take turns when you're around. Of course, you just contradicted yourself. You said this problem couldn't be fixed in a bedroom, but the poster board is in your bedroom," he pinched my ass.

Thankfully, his mother popped her head in. "Marky, why don't you run and get some clean paper from the back room. That should work for you, and it'd be bigger than a little poster board."

He nodded and started out of the room. "Clean paper?" I whispered.

"Yeah, um, you might want to wait in my room. I'm not sure if the back room has been used lately." I looked up to see him give me a sideways glance as he dropped me off at his room.

I stood in the doorway, wondering what the hell he was talking about.


	5. Chapter 5

**I just signed up to donate a short story to **_**Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society**_**. ****Please check out the website and donate to them. I had to triple check how to spell Leukemia, and I honestly hope I never have to know how to spell it by heart.**

**Chapter 5 - Parents**

I was leaning on his doorframe, when his father came down the hallway. "There's my future daughter-in-law. You two doing 'history?' You know, that was my favorite subject in school," he winked at me.

His father was insane and nice at the same time. I didn't know what to make of him, but I figured it would be best if I was polite. "We really do have a project. We're working on the dining room table today."

He looked at me concerned. "Just be sure to center over the middle support, that table has never been the same since Nessie. It's fitting that my first grandchild be conceived in the same place as my kids were." He turned and walked away, ignoring my utterly shocked face.

Marcus hurried up the hall, when he saw his father had stopped to talk to me. "What'd he say?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think I want to tell you, either."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We're not messing around on the table," I answered firmly and led the way to the dining room.

"So where do you want me to put this?"

He had a roll of stiff white paper under his arm. It looked to be about as tall as a standard poster board, but wider. "Just set it out on the far side of the table."

He stood it on end and held it, so it wouldn't unravel. "I don't think it's gonna fit here. Maybe if we move some pictures, or better yet, the chairs. We can do it on the floor," he gave me his troublemaking smirk.

"Well, how big is it?" It couldn't have been bigger than the table. The way he had it rolled up made it look like it should have fit across the end of it.

"Ten feet." He moved some chairs around, and then he let the roll spring open across the floor.

"How'd you get it so long?"

"I was born that way." I didn't look amused. "I got the width of a poster board and just cut the roll straight. You can't leave jagged edges, it'll lead to trouble." He smoothed it out and started to lay clusters of pictures out. I had put them in stacks chronologically, and as he laid them out, I got the perfect idea for our project.

"A narrative timeline, you're a genius! We can have the pictures all displayed in chronological order, with a small summary about each one under it! This poster board is perfect!" I kissed his cheek, and he pulled me into his lap. His mouth attacked mine. Why was he so damn easy to get lost in? My body just recognized him as the orgasm giver, and it seemed to constantly want to coax him to give me more.

I didn't know what happened, but next thing I knew, his mother was looking down at us, smiling as she shook her head. "Marky, let the girl up. You're never going to get this project done if you keep distracting her like that."

I shoved him off at lightning speed, scooting way from him. "I can't believe…" I couldn't believe a lot of things, like how he could distract me so fast, how one kiss could blow into full-on dry humping on the floor, or that once again, we had been caught by his mother. I wiped my mouth and made sure my clothes were in place.

Marcus walked over and reached a hand out to me to help me up. My face was so red hot, I was sure it would explode. The ass smirked, like it was hilarious that I had been humiliated by him yet again.

He yanked me against his body as he helped me up, and I promptly shoved him away. "You stay over there, on that side of the table," I ordered causing him to laugh.

"Christ, Marky, leave the girl alone, she's actually trying to get some work done."

"How am I supposed to help from over here?" he complained as he took his place on the far side of the table.

"You hand me the pictures I want with tape on them. I'll put them on the poster over here."

I ignored his pout and grabbed the second roll of tape. I went to work, attaching the first stacks of pictures that were already laid out. I felt his eyes boring into me, and I'd admit that I might have knelt on the floor with my ass in the air as I worked, because I wanted that orgasm before we went our separate ways. There were plenty of quiet places between here and my house, far away from his parents.

I moved down the poster carefully, making sure there'd be plenty of space to attach the part of the report that went with that grouping of pictures. Marcus put tape on each set of pictures and pushed them to the edge of the table to be placed on the poster by me. I never once looked up, worried at what I might find. He'd had me a horny mess twice today, and I knew I wouldn't be able to resist a third time.

I taped the last picture to our project and stood up, very pleased with myself. "All done, this is so amazing. It'll be an easy A."

I hadn't realized it, but his mother was in the doorway, smiling at us. "Let me get a picture of you two holding up the banner."

She rushed off before we could answer, and Marcus had me up against him the moment she turned her back to us. "Don't think I didn't notice you waving that little ass of yours at me." He gave it a good pinch. "You want it bad, don't you? You're just dying for that release."

I answered by kissing him. He ground into me hard. "Once were done here."

"Not here, not with your parents," I barely breathed out.

He went straight to attacking my neck, holding my hips hard against him with one hand, and the other was in my hair to help give him leverage to move me where he wanted to kiss me.

"Boy, don't make me hose you down," his mother snapped me back to reality.

"What, I let her finish the project. All the pictures are on," he defended with a smirk, while I tried to squirm out of his arms. I finally got away, gave him a glare, and let out a huff.

"Enough, Marky, hold up the poster, I've got to get a picture."

"What do we have here?" his father walked in.

"They just finished their poster!" his mother squealed.

"Poster for what?" he asked looking it over.

"The history project!" she snapped at him.

"It's real?" He really did sound surprised.

"Yup, and we're done," Marcus sounded very pleased with himself.

"Look at my boy. He's got a brain in that head after all." He messed up his son's hair and stepped back. "Get a picture of this, baby, it's amazing." He moved back, pinched his wife's ass, and pulled her in front of him. They took several different pictures of us with our poster. You would've thought it was graduation or prom.

My cell phone rang with my mother's ringtone, and I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, it's my mom. I have to take it."

They waved me off, and as I moved out of the room, they descended on Marcus, congratulating him on the history project that actually existed.

They were crazy, but the kind of crazy that was sweet.

"Hey, Mom." I wondered what kind of mood she'd be in.

"Where the hell are you? Your father's going to be here in twenty minutes, and I don't have a damn thing to drink. You need to take my ID down to the corner store and pick me something up to get me through dinner. I don't know why that damn bastard even bothers to come home anymore."

She just hung up on me, and I did my best to hold myself together. I didn't know why I felt so upset. I was used to her calling and asking me to bring her something to drink. I didn't know why it suddenly bothered me so much. I took a deep breath and turned around. I was met with three solemn faces. "I need a ride home, please." My eyes hit the floor. I couldn't stand to see their disappointment. It didn't matter if I was a good Italian girl. If my parents were fucked up, I was sure they thought I was, too.

"Yeah, let me get the poster rolled up," Marcus broke the silence.

I just nodded and loaded my backpack as fast as possible. I was surprised when his father walked in and set down a large bottle of wine in front of me.

"So, I guess there's no denying you heard that," I mumbled.

He just squeezed my shoulder. "It's fine. We can't control how our parents act towards each other."

His mother set down another bottle and pulled me into a hug, causing me to burst into tears.

"I'm sorry," I cried. "I know my family's messed up, but I'd really like to still be Marky's friend."

"Oh, baby girl, you're far from messed up. You're so good for our boy." She stepped back cupping my cheeks. "He did a history assignment, you're not messed up. You're a miracle worker."

We all burst out laughing.

Marcus took my bag from me and carried the poster. I carried the bottles his parents had given me.

The drive was quiet, and when he pulled up, he got out of the car, making me freak out. I really didn't want him to meet my mom. She was mostly sober, and that meant she was extra bitchy. "You don't want to meet my mom."

"Are you ashamed of me?" He looked hurt.

I glanced at my door. "She's just not a very nice person."

He smirked, "Isabella, you do know my last name is Volturi, right? I know how to deal with not nice people."

I felt stupid. "Fine, but you can't put a hit out on my mom when she pisses you off."

I opened the door, and wasn't two steps in, before my mother started yelling. "What took you so long? Your asshole of a father will be here any minute, and I don't have a damn drink. How the hell am I supposed to stand listening to his obnoxious voice?" I came around the corner, so she could see me. I held out the bottles to her. "Jesus, how the hell did you get this? Did Sal let you get them without my ID?"

"No, my parents wanted to send a thank you to your family. Isabella has been helping me with my history class. I'm Marcus Volturi." He reached out a hand for her to shake, and she glared it.

"Volturi? I know about you!" she shouted. "What the hell is he talking about?" I really hoped she wasn't going to do anything stupid. "You better stay the hell away from that boy. He's a Volturi, Bella. He'll get you in trouble, or killed!"

"Mom, he's my friend. We go to school together."

"Nonsense, you go to a good Catholic school. They don't let the likes of him there. Are you his dirty whore? They don't settle down, Bella. Even after they have a wife, they have a goomah. That's what you call it, isn't it?"

"Ma'am…" Marcus tried to cut in, but she wasn't having it.

"What, you want to screw me, too? Why the hell not." She snatched the bottles out of my hand and took off into the kitchen.

I heard the front door close and knew my father was home. We turned to see him come down the hall. He looked Marcus up and down. "Who's this?"

"He's my history project partner, Marcus Volturi."

My dad flinched when I said Marcus's last name. He shook his head at me and walked away, not saying a word to either of us.

"So, that's my family. You should probably go, before they decide to yell at you, instead of each other."

I would swear it was like it had been planned, the way they started shouting at each other, as if on cue.

"It's my house, why the hell shouldn't I come home! I pay for every damn thing in it, even your fat lazy ass!" my father retorted to something my mother had said. I shoved Marcus out the front door to muffle my mother's reply.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about them," I pointed over my shoulder.

Marcus frowned, "Why would I say anything?"

"My parents were very…they were terribly rude to you. I'm sorry."

He pulled me into his arms. "I get it now. I thought you were crazy, standing there watching my parents fight with a smile on your face. I figured you were fucked in the head, but your ass is hot, so I didn't mind." He gave me a good pinch to prove his point. "I get why you were smiling." He leaned down and kissed my lips, much softer than he ever had before. There was no sexual tension. It was so damn confusing. "I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled, and then took off in his car.

I sat down on the front porch and waited for things to quiet down. I hoped my mother would get too drunk to argue soon and maybe even pass out. My dad would bury himself in the TV then with his beer, and neither of them would remember I even existed. I knew that sounded horrible, but that was just the way life worked at my house.


	6. Chapter 6

**STRAIGHT UP INTERFERENCE**

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for **Leukemia **& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them. I had to triple check how to spell Leukemia, and I honestly hope I never have to know how to spell it by heart.

**Chapter 6 - Up in Smoke**

The next morning, I felt a little lighter. I think it was because someone knew how messed up stuff at my house was, and they were okay with it. When I opened my door, Marcus was there, leaning on the light post. "Hey, I decided to walk you to school, or across the street," he nodded toward the school.

"You're here awfully early." I snuggled under the arm he wrapped around me, not even thinking twice about it.

"Yeah, well, I've never actually turned an assignment in, so I'm a little excited." The twinkle in his eyes was adorable. He really was excited about turning in our history project.

He walked me straight to our history class. School hadn't started, but I knew Mr. Ramos would be there. "Morning, what can I help you with?"

"We finished our history project," Marcus proudly pulled it out from under my arm. "You should see this mess, it took days!" he lamented, but you could tell he was happy about it.

Mr. Ramos seemed amused and let Marcus unroll the poster. "We did a timeline with pictures. It's awesome, right? That is so an 'A' for us."

Mr. Ramos walked from one end to the other, looking at each of the pictures. "It definitely appears that way. I look forward to seeing you present it to the class. I think we have a real winner here," Mr. Ramos said pointing to our poster. "Class favorite gets an extra ten points, and favorite pick of all of the classes gets another twenty-five points. That's an extra thirty-five points on top of the assignment score. You both did very well. I wouldn't be surprised if you won both."

"I know, right?" Marcus bumped my shoulder, making me smile wider.

I put away our project. "We should probably go last when it's time to do presentations. I think we might've gone a little overboard and have a lot of stuff to cover," I suggested.

"That's sounds like a good idea. Besides, we wouldn't want anyone to feel bad about their own project before they're even able to talk about them," Mr. Ramos winked.

"Thank you, Mr. Ramos. We'll see you later." I pulled a giddy Marcus out of the room.

"He loved it, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. Since we have a few minutes, we should go over our presentation parts. I didn't know if you wanted to stand up with me, but since our poster is more of a banner, it's required now. I wrote you out a script for the first half of the banner." He looked a little nervous, so I gave his hand a squeeze. "I never did find out your reading level, so I didn't use a bunch of dumbass pretentious words that we'd have to look up the definition to. I figured the timeline would hold its own without having to fry our brains."

Truth was I had watched him struggle to read through our history chapter. I had stayed up and rewrote the first half of the report. I mostly simplified the sentence structure and used smaller and more common words. I was going to do the whole report, but I had to sleep at some point. I figured this way it'd look like he'd had more of a hand in writing the report itself.

I handed him the page and a half that was meant for him to read. "Do you want me to go over it with you? I probably should've checked it for typos before I printed it out. I printed ours out and then did a double check on the report we're turning in."

"Sure." He led me behind the school, where we both sat on the ground. I helped him read through his section three times, before he got through the whole mess smoothly the fourth time through.

"Perfect, we're gonna ace this." His excitement was catching, and next thing I knew, I was in his lap, kissing him hard.

He let out a chuckle when I finally released his lips. "Who would've thought schoolwork could be so rewarding?"

The day was going great, despite the glares from the whole female population. No one had seen us kiss, but several had seen him walk me to school. The fact that we were grinning like idiots didn't help, either. I kept telling myself it was because of the history report. I was afraid to even consider that I might like Marcus as anything more than a friend.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Jacob poked at the rolled-up report under my arm. I pulled it a little closer to my body, hugging it. I knew Marcus would be there in a moment, so I had to get rid of Jacob, before Marcus showed up and started something with him.

"It's the history project I kept telling you about. Now move."

I went to step around him, but he grabbed my arm and held me in place next to him. "Is that what he told you?" He poked at the poster. "That's not ordinary paper. That's the paper of a killer." I tried to pull away from him, but he held fast. "They cover a room with this stuff to catch all the blood when they torture someone who's crossed them."

"I don't know who the hell you're talking about." My skin was crawling, and I started to feel sick.

"You know why this paper is so special? The back is plastic and has a chemical coating so the blood won't seep through, and it's highly flammable, taking all evidence with it when it burns."

I yanked out of his hold. "You need to leave me alone!"

"No, you need to quit fighting me and tell me what I want to know!" he grabbed my arm again. "You don't believe they're killers? Well, let me show you," he sneered and whipped out a lighter.

Suddenly, the rolled poster in my arms exploded into flames, engulfing the whole project instantly. I screamed and dropped it, but not fast enough. My bare arms were burned badly from the searing hot chemical flash, and my face and clothes were scorched.

"What the hell!" I heard Marcus before I saw him. The next thing I knew, Jacob was on the floor, and security was pulling them apart, while the principal rushed me to the nurse.

"He tried to set me on fire," I sobbed. The whole damn mess just came crashing down on me. "He ruined the report. Do you know how long I spent on that damn thing? How hard it was to get Marcus to actually care enough to do anything? He worked on it, Principal Stewart! He helped me complete the assignment. He was so proud, his parents even took pictures," I cried as the nurse wrapped my arms.

I looked up to see her gritting her teeth. She looked pissed off.

"Victoria, would you mind giving me a minute with Bella. Her parents need to be notified of the situation as well."

I carefully reached for a tissue, crying out when I moved my arms. My tears exploded all over again.

"Bella, I'm so very sorry this happened to you." He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I'm going to tell you something, but it can't leave this room." I nodded. "Jacob is a Federal agent, trying to find a crack in the Volturi stronghold. The young cocky generation is the best target. He was supposed to be going after Marcus and his friends. I don't know why he became so fixated on you."

"I knew." I'd been aware the whole time why Jacob was so pissed. "I figured it out on the first day that he wasn't a student. I just didn't know who he was. He must've realized I knew, because I tried to steer clear of him. I didn't want to be around some strange man in my school."

"Oh, Bella, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know what to say. 'I think this is an old guy?' What would you have done?"

He shook his head. "I would've had you pulled from school until the investigation was done. Your knowledge of him could've interfered with the whole mission."

"So you would've just left him here to torment someone else? What if it was one of the girls that didn't know you as well as I do? Who would've walked them to class or changed their schedule? That guy is a psychopath! He tried to kill me. He shouldn't be in any school!"

"She's right." The nurse came back in, but her white coat was open, and it was clear she had a uniform on underneath it. "Agent James lost it. We should've pulled him the first time she complained about his behavior."

The principal sat back. "I asked for him to be removed, but your superior refused. He thought she was a good lead."

"I'm not a good lead, why in hell would he tell me anything about anything? I'm just his history partner."

"You went to his house," Victoria pointed out.

"Yes, with his mom and dad and sister all there. What did you expect us to chat about, the latest drug run or something? I was there to work on a history assignment!"

The door slammed opened, Marcus took in my wrapped form, and then he turned on the principal. "It's one thing to have shit at our school coming after me, but you crossed the line when you went after her."

"That's why," Victoria pointed to Marcus, who was glaring down at the principal.

"Because he's pissed off that you hurt his friend?" I hissed.

"No, because he cares about you, that's why he'd confide in you. If you have any…"

"She doesn't know shit, because I do care! You don't let the ones you love know anything! My mother knows nothing! My father goes to the butcher shop and sells meat to the neighbors. That's what she knows, that's what I know. This whole operation was a shit waste of time! My father loves me, so I know nothing! I'm clean, just like she's clean, just like my mother and my baby sister! What you did, that was harassment and assault."

"I have to agree with the boy on this one, Victoria. You've gathered nothing at all during the month you were on campus. Ms. Swan was repeatedly harassed, and in my opinion, roughed up. Your man was constantly on her, grabbing her and restraining her."

There was a loud bang as the door slammed shut. Marcus had left. I realized I had never told him about the trouble I'd been having with Jacob, aka James.

"He didn't know. Principal Stewart, he didn't know. You shouldn't have told him. He's going to kill him!"

"Good, at least we can file charges against him."

I didn't know where I got the strength from, but I found it and punched that bitch square in the face, burns be damned. "He's pissed because your agent, a grown man, was harassing his teenage friend! He took out Mike when he grabbed me last year, and he was just another kid. Your so-called agent sure as hell should've known to keep his hands to himself!"

I felt a gentle hand on my back and turned to see Principal Stewart give me a soft smile while speaking on the phone. "Yes, you heard me right. I need law enforcement officers to remove a couple of rouge agents from my school."

"We're not rouge agents!" Victoria snapped.

"You really think your superior had this in mind?" he pointed to me; his tone was low and deadly. "She's my charge here on campus. I told Agent James to stay the hell away from her, that she was a good student, but he refused. You think this is what your boss wants to hear? Every damn surveillance tape James requested showed nothing but her greeting Marcus and walking away. Several had him with other girls and them laughing together. They don't have the relationship you've tried to imply. She's an exceptional student who was able to reach out and encourage a fellow student to do better academically, and you go and tear that apart. You literally sent all their hard work up in flames, seriously burning her in the process!"

The door opened, and two officers stepped in. "There was a report of trespassing?"

"Yes, remove her, and her partner is around here somewhere, most likely in the middle of a well-deserved beating." I was shocked by Principal Stewart's fury.

One of the cops cuffed Victoria, "I can handle her, why don't you go with the principal to check out the surveillance cameras," he told the other.

"Will you be alright, Isabella? I believe your mother is on the way," Principal Stewart asked concerned.

I nodded yes and cringed from the pain. I wanted them to get Victoria and James out of the school, before anything happened to Marcus.

I sat alone quietly. I guessed my mom or someone was supposed to take me to the hospital. I heard the door open and was surprised to see it was Marcus's mother. "Hey, Mrs. Volturi, did they call you down for Marcus?"

"Yes, they said he'd most likely be sent here after they find him."

I nodded, but stiffly. My neck, chest and face were bright red with first-degree burns, and it hurt to move them.

"Can I ask what happened, honey?"

Tears flooded my face, and I felt her carefully sit next to me. Her hand touched my back gingerly. "Is it okay to touch you here?"

"Yes," I whimpered out, and she put the full force of her hand into a soothing rub.

"I saw the cops taking out a woman. Is she the one that did this?"

"No, it was Jacob, or James, the Federal agent that kept trying to go after Marcus."

"Christ, let me get my husband on the phone."

Before I could protest, she had stepped out of the room. I could hear her yelling into the phone, but the door kept me from making out what she was saying exactly.

She stormed back in, "We're suing his ass for touching you, baby girl. He's going to lose his money, his job, and then he's gonna know what it's like to be a scared little girl."

"I don't want anyone to get in trouble. Can't he just take a long walk off a very secluded short peer?"

She let out a hardy laugh and sat next to me, "A girl after my own heart."

The door opened again, and my mother walked in. "Well, what happened, lab accident or something?"

"No…" I started.

"Fine, whatever, the nurse seems to have you patched up, so go home and lay down."

"She has some very bad burns. She needs to go to the hospital," Mrs. Volturi cut in.

"Listen, Lady, I know my daughter. She'll be fine with some aspirin," she snapped, then turned to me. "Now get up, go home, and get to bed. It's not like it's far, and you can walk, so get moving." She swayed a little, and I knew then why she couldn't take me to the hospital…she was drunk.

I let out a sigh and fought off another bout of tears. "Can you call Dad and ask him to take me to the hospital? This hurts so bad, Mom."

"I'm not calling that bastard for anything. He thinks he owns me and everything in that damn house just because he has a job, but I've been married to that ass for eighteen years. There's nothing in that house that shouldn't be mine!"

"Mrs. Swan, this isn't about you," Mrs. Volturi snapped. "Your daughter needs to go to the hospital, and your beef with your husband should _never_ interfere with caring for your child."

Marcus came in, wiping some blood from his face, "Hey, Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I was called down. I was told my son was trying to kill someone on campus."

"Are you alright?" I butted in.

He frowned at me, and then he glanced at my mom, "She taking you to the hospital?"

My mom huffed, "She can call her father if she wants to be a whiny little bitch and make a scene. I'm out of here." She staggered out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore my mother's complete disregard for me. The burns hurt like hell, and I didn't have any way to fix them.

"Honey," I felt Marcus' mom's hand on my back again.

"Could you please call my dad?" I stifled my need to cry. "I can't move my hands or arms, and I don't want to touch my face right now."

"Oh, baby girl, we'll take care of you, I promise."

She told the attendance office that my mother had asked her to take me to the hospital, since she had to take her Marky, anyway. They bought it hook, line and sinker, because they believed my mother would've cared enough to want me at a hospital receiving proper care. It was sad how wrong they were.

**A/N - Things will slowly go downhill with Marcus and Bella at this point, and we'll be introduced to Edward very soon. I'm warning you that the next couple of chapters will be tearjerkers as Marcus and Bella wrap up their relationship.**


	7. Chapter 7

**STRAIGHT UP INTERFERENCE**

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for **Leukemia **& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Chapter 7 – Pain, Pain, and…Pain**

On the way to the hospital, Mrs. Volturi used her Bluetooth to call my father's work and asked him to meet us there. He asked where my mother was and why she wasn't taking me, since caring for me had been her reason for sitting on her fat ass all these years.

Mrs. Volturi hung up on him. "You're eighteen, right, honey? Screw your fucked-up parents. You don't need them to be treated. We'll cover your costs, since it was because of us that you got pulled into this mess."

I was in too much pain to even consider arguing. What little relief I'd gotten from the anesthetic spray applied at school was starting to wear off.

We didn't go in through the front door of the hospital, but a side one, and we walked straight down the hall. There was a doctor going over a file, and when he saw us, he ran to meet us. "Is everything alright, Ann Marie?"

"No, Isabella took a hit and needs to be treated."

"Yes, of course."

He ushered me right into a room, and Marcus explained that the burns were from butcher paper. They looked at each other, and the doctor nodded.

"Marcus needs to step out. There's a chemical component that needs to be washed off. Would you be alright with Ann Marie helping me with your clothes?" he asked me.

At that point, I didn't give a shit who took off my clothes. I just wanted the pain to stop. "That's fine."

The pair worked meticulously. They removed everything I wore, cutting it off to avoid rubbing it across the burns. I didn't know what he put in the tub in my room, but if felt good when he carefully lowered me into the cool water. He and Mrs. Volturi gently poured the liquid over my un-submerged parts and my face.

After a good thirty minutes of soaking and rinsing, I was laid out to air dry on the bed.

"Once you're all dried up, we'll wrap your burns. This should help with the pain," he said as he put an IV in the back of my hand.

Mrs. Volturi sat with me as I dried. I was finally able to get up the courage to speak. "Thank you, for helping me."

Her hand went to the top of my head, "Oh, sweetie, I know you don't understand it, but you're part of my family now. I know you don't have experience with how a family is supposed to act, but this is it. We take care of each other."

It didn't take long for the medicine to fully knock me out. When I woke again, Marcus was sitting next to me, and the doctor was checking my IV.

"I've given you some antibiotics. They'll cancel out your birth control if you're taking any."

"I don't…it's against…I'm a…" My eyes glanced at Marcus, and then I noticed his mother come forward from across the room.

"She's a good Catholic girl, Joey, she doesn't take them," she smiled down at me, and I bit my lip, only to regret it when I felt the pain of my burn.

My cell phone rang later that night. It was my mother, asking when I would be home so I could make a booze run for her. When I told her I would be in the hospital for a few days, she huffed, upset with me. "Fine, I'll walk down there myself. Your father is being even more impossible than usual."

She hung up on me again, and I looked the other way, trying to hide my tears. Marcus grabbed my phone and turned it off.

When I was finally cleared to go home, the burns on my face had pretty much healed, and only my arms were still bandaged. Neither parent said anything to me about it. I went about my life as before and tried to ignore the fact that neither parent even asked how I was doing.

When I went back to school, one of Marcus's crew kept an eye on me, but Marcus kept his distance. He didn't put his arm around me anymore or kiss my head. We didn't really chat or joke anymore. He came off as blank and indifferent, and it hurt more than any words he could have said to me. I couldn't help but feel hurt by Marcus's distance, and when I asked Franky about it, he told me that Marcus didn't want to risk me becoming a mark again.

It turned out that the Volturi's took the pictures they'd taken of our project and had them blown up, so Marcus could do the report on his own while I was in the hospital. It won both sets of bonus points. We received 135 points on the project. It helped that Mr. Ramos had seen it before it was destroyed. He didn't count it late and delayed the class judging until Marcus could reproduce it. I think he was impressed that Marcus even took the time to make it again. I knew that Principal Stewart was.

The night of the winter formal, I was thankful my body was healed completely, except for the few scars on my arms that would never go away. Principal Stewart asked me to work the refreshment table. I readily accepted so I could attend, even if I didn't have a date.

I put on a simple black knit dress that I had worn to my grandmother's funeral a couple of years back. It was pretty tight and a lot shorter than I remembered, but it was all I had. I figured it was to be expected, since I was no longer sixteen, and I had grown up and filled out a lot in the past two years.

I took my place behind the table and made sure no one spiked the punch. I didn't look up until I heard some girls talking about how hot Marcus and his buddies looked coming in. They surrounded his scowling little sister, making me smile. His eyes landed on me for a minute, but then returned to his sister as she moved across the room.

I went back to guarding the punch bowl, until Mr. Ramos came to relieve me. I took a bathroom break and tried not to let Marcus ignoring me hurt.

When I came out of the bathroom and tried to make my way across the dance floor, someone grabbed me from behind. I was ready to elbow them, until I felt that telling pinch on my ass. I leaned back into his arms, relaxing against him. I looked over my shoulder, hoping he could see how much I wanted him back in my life. "I miss you."

"Christ, I've missed you so much." He grabbed my face and did something I never thought he would do in front of the entire student body. He kissed me, with a deep needy passion, while he turned me around and pulled me tighter against him. He never let up on my lips, unless it was to gasp for air for a second and then dive right back in again.

He practically carried me out of the school. I half expected him to toss me into the back seat and take me, but he put me in the front seat and had his fingers in my pussy as soon as he shifted the car into drive. I gripped his shoulder, unable to control my body's response to him.

He didn't pause when we got to his house. He carried me straight to his room. My dress was off in seconds, his clothes were shed, and he hovered over me, attacking my mouth, my breasts, and eventually, my pussy. I screamed his name when my release hit. I hoped to god no one was home, because I was sure they would have heard me.

He made it back up to my neck and begged, "Please, please let me have you. I swear you're it for me. I can't stay away. I won't touch another woman for the rest of my life if I can have you."

That was all I needed to hear. He would finally be mine, mine alone. "Yes," I barely got out. His hips thrust against my clit as his mouth attacked mine. I heard his nightstand drawer close, but it seemed like he couldn't reign himself in enough to pull back and put the condom on. I finally grabbed it from him, because I wanted him as bad as he wanted me.

When I looked at it to see where to tear it open, I panicked. "Marcus, there's a hole."

He stopped immediately and pulled back, "No, no…he wouldn't." He took it from me, and once he saw the pinprick, he crushed it in his hand. He dug through the drawer, looking at and tossing each condom he found. "That son of a bitch, that son of bitch!" he yelled.

He barely got his pants back on as he stormed out of his door. "You bastard, where the fuck are you?"

I heard his mother answer first. "What the hell is going on, Marky?"

"Where's Dad? Where the hell is that son of a bitch? I'm gonna kill that bastard!"

"Hey," I heard his father's deep voice, "Why all the shouting?"

"This!" He must have taken one of the compromised condoms with him.

"Marcus, please tell me this wasn't your doing," his mother sounded cool and fierce all at the same time.

"She's a nice girl."

I heard a slap. "How could you do that to her? Hasn't she been through enough? You want her to get knocked up and be kicked out of school, too?"

"You're damn lucky I didn't use that!" Marcus shouted at his father, but his tone changed. "Shit, oh shit, fucking shit, do you know what you've done? Goddamn it! I've been fucking Lisa Marie with those! Shit, shit, shit!"

"Who's Lisa Marie?" his father asked him.

But it was his mother who answered that question. "You were doing the maid? Christ, Marky, why can't you keep it in your pants?"

Hearing that he had been fucking someone else crushed me. I thought he had given that up, because for the last two months after I was burned, I watched as he pushed the girls away left and right at school. I was so stupid to assume he wasn't getting his needs met somewhere else. I slowly pulled myself together, ashamed that I had almost given in to him again.

"I was in the shower, and then she was there, sucking me off before I could step out. Every damn morning for six weeks, for six…" he stopped, "No, no, no, she's pregnant, she's fucking pregnant! I've been fucking her every day for six weeks, and she hasn't had a period. That ain't right, is it, Mom?" He seemed to be begging her to tell him different.

I heard a thick smack.

At that, I knew the chances of us being together had been dashed. He would never be mine, and if his penchant for fucking maids proved anything, it was best that we had stopped where we had. I was so stupid for wanting more with him. I walked slowly up the hallway, only to find his mother glaring at his father, who was holding his bruised cheek.

"Can I get a ride home, please?" I wasn't sure if anyone had heard me, but his mother rushed over to me, taking me into her arms. I couldn't hold back the tears as I sobbed for everything I'd lost. "Please, can you take me home?"

She ushered me into her car, and as we drove to my house, I hid my face as I cried.

"Oh, baby girl, I'm so sorry," she pulled me into a tight hug after she parked in front of my house.

"I loved him. I really loved him," I confessed one last time, before I jumped out of the car and ran into the house.

The following week, Mr. Ramos was out sick. He was replaced by Mrs. Cassidy indefinitely. She seemed to sense there was a riff between Marcus and I. She gave assigned seats to learn our names and moved him far away from me.

Franky followed me everywhere, and I knew it was Marcus's doing. Even if we couldn't be together, he was still watching over me.

Franky would squeeze my shoulder once in a while, trying to comfort me. After weeks of following me around, he could tell I was still a mess. He gave me worried glances and finally whispered that he was sorry about what had happened with Marcus.

"Don't, please don't say his name." I fought back tears and took off to the bathroom to avoid any more conversation.

I'd made a huge mistake when I went in there. It was full of bitches that hated me, because Marcus wasn't fucking around anymore…well, not with them, but I was sure he was still fucking the maid. They started in on me, but Franky shocked us all when he came right into the bathroom and told them to shut up. He pulled me out of the bathroom and into a hug. I couldn't help it, I cried. I couldn't hold it back, and I was ashamed that I was crying there in public, letting it all out unrestrained.

I felt someone pull me away from Franky. I knew who it was as soon as I felt his arms around me. I pulled myself together as fast as I could and pushed away from Marcus. "I can't do this." I finally gained the courage to look him in the eyes. "I can't."

I ran out of the school and went straight home. I hated that I had let myself get wrapped up in someone who could never be what I wanted, or worse, someone for whom I knew I would never be enough.

**A/N - I know some of you saw that coming and others didn't. Edward will be up next chapter. I think you'll see the contrast of their relationships pretty fast.**


	8. Chapter 8

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for**Leukemia**& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Chapter 8 – Family**

I hadn't been home long from school when there was a knock on my door, and I didn't think twice about answering it. I should have looked before I did.

There were two men in suits who held up some cuffs. "You can come quietly or we can restrain you. It's your choice, Ms. Swan."

"Who are you? What's this about?"

"I'm Agent Ortega, and this is Agent Richards. We're with the FBI."

My mother came up behind me and glared at the pair of them. My father pulled up in the driveway, looking confused. "What's going on?"

"We believe your daughter interfered with a Federal investigation. We're taking her in for questioning." Agent Richards turned to me, still dangling the cuffs, "Do I have to use these?"

I shook my head no and followed him to the car. The other agent told my parents to follow them down to the police station, where they were borrowing an interrogation room.

As we were walking up the stairs, my father decided to speak up. "What's this concerning, what investigation?"

"The Volturi investigation, taking place at her school two months ago, we have it on good authority that she and Marcus Volturi are estranged, and she might be compelled to talk."

I shook my head no, but that didn't seem to stop them from pulling me into the police station. I was surprised when a familiar-looking stranger I couldn't place held the door opened for us to go in. He nodded at me and walked away in a different direction than we were headed.

"Would you like a drink before we get started?" Agent Richards asked.

"You have a shot of whiskey?" my mother requested. I kept my eyes on the table, not wanting to see their reaction to that.

They slid an open folder with a bunch of pictures across the table to me. "As you can see here, Ms. Swan, you were looking right at the cameras we had in the bushes. It was obvious before you came into our trap that you recognized them. You look awfully worried in this one. Here, you walked straight up to Mr. Volturi, trying to distract him from Agent Jacob James."

I just looked away. "He was my project partner in history. Besides, what did you plan for Jacob to do? He was antagonizing him, he called Marcus's mother a whore. The bastard needed a good beating."

"Ms. Swan…"

"No, you see this?" I held out my arms that had white scars from my burns. "That bastard burned me. If you expect me to say anything to help him, you're insane."

"Agent James has been terminated. The facts still point to you covering for Mr. Volturi. You must know something."

I just shook my head no.

"Here are some more pictures from your school surveillance. You read the names on the letters you were supposed to be delivering, and instead of doing so, you put them in your locker. After you conferred with Marcus, you took them out of the school to a waiting vehicle, which stopped them from reaching their intended targets."

"The letters were for his family; once I told him I had them, he said he could have them picked up. As far as I know, they were delivered to his family as addressed on the envelope. What do those letters have to do with anything?"

They grimaced.

"On several occasions, Marcus proved that his connection to you was much stronger than you'd willingly admit to Agent James." They slid several pictures of Marcus kissing my head and cheek, with his arm around me or hugging me."

I looked away, not able to handle it.

"Your tears say there was more to your relationship, Ms. Swan," Agent Richards spoke softly. "Could you tell us about the paper your report was made on? Do you know where he got it?"

"No, I asked him to get the paper for the report, but he didn't. I remembered making murals at school on long strips of butcher paper. I was the one who got it from the grocery store," I lied smoothly. That paper was the only piece of damning evidence they had. I didn't know why the Volturi's had it at their house, but I wasn't going to let Marcus get in trouble for helping with the report.

"Stop lying for that criminal, Isabella. Just tell them what you know!" my mother snapped at me.

"I don't know anything!"

"Bella, if you don't tell them, I swear I'll kick you out of the house. I won't have anyone in my family helping the likes of the Volturi!" my father threatened.

I shook my head disgusted. "You'd be doing me a favor."

"Enough! Tell them the damn truth! Where the hell did you get that paper?" he stood up and punched the table.

I was surprised when the interrogation room door flew open. The man who had held the door open for me when we'd arrived at the station stood there, filling up the doorway and glaring everyone down.

"Who the hell are you?" my father snapped.

"I'm Ms. Swan's lawyer."

"Like hell you are, I'm not paying you a damn dime. She's my daughter. I'm not letting you anywhere near her, she's gonna open her damn mouth and get this over with!"

"Well, that's not up to you." He walked over to me and pulled the chair out for me. "Ms. Swan is eighteen and is no longer a minor. I'm working pro-bono, so if you'll excuse us, I believe you only have circumstantial evidence and are harassing my client about a time that was very traumatizing to her. I don't believe any judge would rule in your favor." He turned to me and took my hand, pulling me out of the office. I had no idea who he was, but I'd follow Satan at this point just to get out of there.

He led me to his car, and considering it was a Porsche, I was guessing he really was a lawyer. We pulled up to the Masen and Masen law firm, and I followed him into his office. Once inside, he gave me a bottle of water and pulled out a thick file with my name on it. I looked at him confused.

"I represented you against Jacob James and Victoria Harmon. With the testimony of my brother, Joey, and the school surveillance, we were able to get James terminated and convicted. I'm also setting up a trust from the settlement you've been awarded. I'll get the papers to you once it's ready."

He sat down and opened to the back of the file, "Now, can you tell me how much you really do know?"

I clammed up fast. "I don't know you. I'm not talking. You want to get the Feds off my ass, that's fine, but I'm not talking."

He smiled widely and picked up the phone. "I need you to come down here. She isn't talking. I need you to let her know it's alright to speak with me." He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. "You know, there's been a lot of talk around you. My brother, Joey, was impressed with you when he treated you in the hospital. My other brother, Tony, thought it was sweet of you to get the envelopes to him without question. My sister, Ann Marie, really loves you. She was so upset by the way things turned out with Marcus."

When he said Marcus's name, I looked away from him.

I was surprised when Mrs. Volturi walked into his office. She pulled me up into a hug and then cupped my cheeks. "After everything, you're still looking out for us." She sat down next to me, holding my hand. "This is my brother, Victor. He's safe to talk to, honey. He wants to make sure they can't hurt you for protecting our family."

"Can you tell me what you know now?" Victor asked smiling.

I looked to Mrs. Volturi worried. She nodded at me, encouraging me to speak.

"Marcus got the paper from the clean room in his house. It's much wider than normal butcher paper, most likely to cover a large space. Jacob said that room is to hurt people in." I curled up on myself and felt Mrs. Volturi rub my back. "I didn't tell them that. I said I got it myself. I wouldn't give up Marcus for anything." I looked up at Mrs. Volturi with pleading eyes, hoping she'd believe me. I still loved Marcus, even if it hurt.

"I know you didn't. I watched from the two-way mirror. You did good. They really have nothing on you, but I want to keep them from gathering any more evidence. You need to disappear for a while. Would you be open to that?" the attorney asked.

I thought about how hard it was to see Marcus everyday and stay away. I hated the pitiful looks his friends gave me and the glares from the bitches. My parents turning on me was the icing on the cake. I looked over at Mrs. Volturi, "I think getting away from everything might help it not hurt so much."

She stood up, pulling me into her arms again. "I'm so sorry, baby. I really am. I'm going to send you to our baby brother, Edward. He'll look after you. He lives in a nice quiet cabin. Maybe a little nature will help you out."

I really didn't care at this point.

Another large man walked into the room, "Is she ready to go?"

"This is my brother, Caius. He's the one taking you to Edward's house."

I just followed him out the door, thinking of all the names of her brothers. There were several Masen's. Victor, Tony, Joey, and now Caius, they were all Mrs. Volturi's siblings, and now I was going to meet another one, Edward. They all seemed very nice, so I hoped Edward would be, too.

When we climbed into his SUV, I realized I didn't have any clothes with me. I wasn't sure if my parents would let me get any, either. "I don't have any clothes."

He gave me a soft smile, "Don't worry, my sisters, Teresa and Dora, know you need some clothes and will be sending some up to Edward's place tomorrow. I'm sure he can find you something to wear tonight."

The Masen family just seemed to get bigger and bigger. "How many kids are in your family?"

He grinned, "You noticed it's a bit large, huh? There are twelve of us kids. My parents wanted to prove they were good Catholics."

"Well, I'd say they succeeded. Where do you fall in the bunch?"

"I'm fourth from the oldest. Ann Marie is the oldest and helped my mother looked after us. You'll be staying with our baby brother, Edward. He's pretty cool, maybe a little weird, if not distant. That's why he keeps to himself in that cabin of his."

"Is he going to be mad about me being there?"

"Nah, one little girl won't hurt him. He could use the company to liven things up."

Those weren't very comforting words.

We turned off the main highway and followed a dirt road for a good thirty minutes, before we pulled up to a little cabin. A man stepped out on the porch, toting a shotgun. He wore a flannel shirt and jeans, but the thing that grabbed my attention the most was his hair. It was all over the place, even his beard was insane. I nearly expected him to be wielding an ax and a bottle of moonshine.

He frowned, shaking his head. He obviously wasn't happy to see us.

"What are you doing here, Caius?" the man glared at him and downright scowled at me. "Don't tell me you kidnapped this girl. You know I want no part of this."

"No, I didn't kidnap her."

"Why'd you bring her then? Are you getting into human trafficking now?" He was really pissed and was advancing on Caius.

"Nah, she just needs some cover until some shit blows over."

He looked at me confused, "What'd she do?"

"She was looking out for your nephew, and the Feds are after her now. Victor will take care of that, but she needs a place to stay until it cools down."

Caius put a hand on my shoulder and walked me past the angry man and into the cabin. It was small and had one wide-open room that was the living room, dining room and kitchen. There was an archway to the side that looked like a study of some sort, and a door that I could only assume went to the bedroom, because there were no halls or anything else in this place.

"Where's her stuff?"

"Teresa and Dora will bring it out tomorrow. She's only got what she has on at the moment."

He yanked on his crazy hair, "Fine, now get out of here. I don't want to hear anymore about this mess."

"Goodnight, little brother. Isabella, take care." Caius left me standing there awkwardly, with my arms wrapped tightly around myself.

"Did you eat dinner?" he asked from under the mess on his face, and I shook my head no. "I have some leftovers. I'll bring you some sweats to put on after your shower. You'll be sleeping on a hid-a-bed in my office. It's the only other bed I have."

I nodded in answer.

He set some food out. I didn't even bother trying to figure out what it was, I just ate it. He came back with some clothes, and then he walked me through his bedroom to the one bathroom in the house. I showered and washed my messed-up, tear-stained face. I had cried so much today. I didn't want to cry anymore.

When I stepped out, he was hanging up the phone. I saw him glance at my covered arms. I guess whoever he had talked to told him what was going on. He didn't say anything to me, just grabbed a blanket from the closet and led me to his study. I only saw a chair in it, but he reached into it, opening it and somehow unfolding it into a bed.

"It's only a twin. I hope that's okay."

I gave the bearded man a small smile. He started to leave, when I decided I should say something to him. "Thank you."

He nodded at me, "Goodnight, Isabella."

**A/N - I'm caught up to what I had already written, so the next few chapters will come more slowly, but at least once or twice a week, I promise.**


	9. Chapter 9

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for**Leukemia**& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Chapter 9 - Underbrush**

The next morning, I woke to the smell of bacon. I sat up to see Edward sitting at his desk, typing something out. When I shifted on the little bed, he turned and looked at me.

"You're up. There's breakfast in the kitchen."

I could hear him typing away as I ate. Once I was done, I pushed up my sleeves and started on the dishes. There really wasn't anything else to do. He didn't have a TV, and it looked like he only had the one computer, which he seemed to be working on.

I had just finished cleaning the kitchen when he came in with his plate, looking around confused. "What are you doing?"

I shrugged.

"Okay, well, you don't have to worry about that stuff. You're my guest." He looked around like he was trying to find something for me to do. "On the back porch is a swing. I have some bird feeders out there. They're cool to watch, or you can go for a walk, but be sure to stay on the trails. I don't want you getting lost." I was happy to find that the disgruntled Edward from last night was gone.

I headed out the back door to see what he was talking about. I laid down on the porch swing and looked around until I found the bird feeders up high in the trees. He was right, there were several brightly colored birds swarming around them.

I didn't know how long I had been out there, when I was distracted by tires crunching up the dirt road. I walked around the little cabin to see two girls that looked a lot like Mrs. Volturi. As soon as their eyes landed on me, they rushed over and hugged me.

I hadn't realized Edward had come out, until he took some bags out of the back of the car and headed into the house. The girls were chatting a mile a minute, pulling me into Edward's room. I was surprised when he started hanging up my new clothes next to his.

The girls seemed to be excited about all the new things they had brought. They wanted me to put on something new and picked out an outfit. Edward left the room, most likely going back to work on his computer stuff.

The girls weren't shy and only glanced at my scars for a moment as they changed me. Once they were satisfied, they both hugged me and left. I kind of wanted to be alone after that. Seeing them brought Marcus to the forefront of my mind. I couldn't hate him. We hadn't officially been together when he was with the maid, and he had promised that he'd only be mine before shit hit the fan. I tried to shake it off. I had done so well at hiding from those thoughts. I needed to zone out and push everything away again. I stayed in Edward's room where it was quiet. It was small and felt cozy. It seemed like a good hiding place, even if I was hiding from myself. He had a window seat, so I sat down and stared out the window. My mind went blissfully blank as I watched the birds dance around a feeder. My focus thankfully shifted. I had done my best to clear my mind. The silence seemed to help. I knew as long as I didn't talk, I'd be fine.

I didn't hear him enter the room and startled when he spoke, "You're quiet."

I looked at the floor, not wanting to talk to him. I wished I could forget this whole mess.

He sat on the bed across from me. "I like the quiet, too. I guess it won't be so bad to have you here."

He looked out the window and watched a red bird that was hopping around the feeder for a moment. Then he walked to the door, pausing. "I'll call you when lunch is ready."

We sat silently at the table. My scars were fully visible in this shirt. He glanced at them a few times and would frown. I ate the last bite of my sandwich and then wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hide them.

"They say you're not connected. Your family isn't in with them?" he asked and I shook my head no. "So what do you know that's so important you can't talk?"

I didn't know how close he was to his family. He seemed to despise them. I got up and put my dishes in the sink before I walked away, not answering his question.

"Of course, you're not talking, I get it." He sounded a little irritated, but not really mad.

I didn't think I could get through that story without completely losing it. I was feeling kind of numb right now, and I wanted to stay that way.

For the rest of the week, I did my best to stay out of his way. He didn't say much to me, and I didn't talk to him. At most, he'd ask for me to pass him something at dinner. It was a little difficult, but I established my territory in the kitchen. I washed the dishes and cleaned up. He always cooked, because I felt that would be overstepping my bounds, but I had silently insisted on cleaning the house while he worked.

He seemed to be as quiet as I was, and I wondered if he was here to hide from something he didn't want to talk about, too. I was glad he had accepted my silence and didn't push me. I think he knew if I started to talk about it, that I'd fall apart and be hurt all over again.

In the evening, when I couldn't watch the birds anymore, I'd watch the wind. I'd admit to maybe knocking some leaves off a tree or two just so I could watch them twirl. It was quiet and peaceful. It helped me to feel peaceful inside.

On Thursday, Edward showed up to the breakfast table without his beard, and it looked like he'd attempted a home haircut, which wasn't half bad. At least he didn't look like he had his head lodged in a hay bail anymore. He looked younger, and it actually startled me, which caused him to crack a smile, a smile that had previously been hidden by his overgrown beard. I liked it. I had been nervous about coming to stay with Edward, but he wasn't unruly to me. I worried that he might have been disgruntled since I'd been forced upon him, but I could tell now that he wasn't. It had been hard to tell under his beard, but I think he'd smiled at me across the table when we ate. Now that he'd shaved, his straight white grin was released on me full force. It was quite nice and impossible not to smile back.

"You shaved."

"Yes, I did."

I considered asking why, but I didn't want to be pulled into a conversation. I just nodded at him, letting him know that I approved, not that he'd care.

After cleaning up, I explored a couple of the paths. One led to an overlook with an amazing view, and another led to a little spring where the water bubbled right out of the ground. I sat and watched some animals come to drink. Edward's place wasn't so bad. I was thankful he'd let me stay here, no questions asked.

On Saturday after breakfast, I once again donned my hoodie and stepped out onto the back porch to watch the birds. I lay across the swing and stretched out in the sunlight, like I did ever morning.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

I nearly leapt out of my skin. Edward stood blocking the sun, so I could open my eyes. I knew it wasn't a fluke, because when I moved, he glanced behind him and shifted again.

"You're not working." I realized that was the most I had said to him all week.

He frowned a little and shook his head no. "It's Saturday."

I sat up a little more, and I knew for sure he was blocking the sun for me, because he had put his hand out to the side to keep it out of my eyes. I scooted over and patted the bench next to me. He sat down and leaned back, relaxing. He closed his eyes when a cool breeze blew past. I shivered a little, but he seemed to be fine in his flannel shirt.

"You've been quiet." I looked at him confused. I thought he had noticed that before. "I mean, you haven't complained about there being nothing to do. My family has come out before to visit for a day or something, and they seem to go nuts in the first few hours, and here you are a week in and you're fine."

I shrugged, "It's nice."

He looked at me excitedly, in a way I had not seen before. You'd have thought I'd told him he had won the lottery. "It is, isn't it? I keep trying to tell my family that, but they don't get it. I mean, it's nature, what's not to get? I don't think they realize how much there is to see out here. Just look at the birds. Have you ever seen so many different colors? I remember seeing brown and black in town, but here, there are red, blue, green, yellow, and then so much more when the hummingbirds come around. It's like a tropical forest without the humidity. I plan on putting out the deer corn this weekend. They love that stuff, and so do a mess of other animals as well. The wild turkeys and quail, there's just so much out here."

I couldn't help but smile at him. He looked over at me, and then looked down at his lap as if he was embarrassed by his tangent. I didn't know why beard man was insecure, or maybe it was because he had shaved his beard off that he felt insecure. Either way, he was a sweet guy. I didn't want him to feel bad, so I decide to speak up for him. "I like the trails, too."

His head whipped around to me, "Really?"

I nodded yes, unable to keep my smile from growing. It was a little silly, how happy he was about me liking his home.

"Your smile is pretty." As soon as it left his mouth, his eyes widened, making me laugh. I could tell he wasn't a smooth talker, and it put me at ease.

"Thanks," I gave the guy a break. Since he wanted to talk to me, I figured the least I could do was be nice enough to help carry on a conversation. "Were the trails here when you moved here?"

He shook his head no, "When my mother came to visit, she literally paced the floor and complained that my house was too small. She said she didn't know how I fit in it. I tried to tell her I don't live in the house. I spend most of my time outside. I grabbed my machete and my rifle and made her follow me. We walked for a while, and I swear she thought a wild animal was going to jump out and eat her. She started to bug me to go back, and then we came upon the spring. There were little rabbits around it at the time. She loved it, and so I used my machete to make a trail back to the house. That trail is named after my mother, it's Elizabeth's path," he said pointing to it.

"Wow, that's really neat, what about the other one?" Talking to him came easier than I thought it would. It didn't hurt like I expected.

"That one is my father's. He went stir crazy like my mother. I knew there was a valley in that general direction, so I took him for a walk like I did my mother, and when I found his spot, I cut the trail back. That trail is named after my father, Anthony."

"That's cool, are there any other paths? I wasn't able to find the start of another."

He grinned widely. "Right there," he pointed into some thick underbrush. "That can be your path, just let me get my gun and machete."

He was up and into the house before I could even think to protest. I considered going in to tell him that I didn't want to go, but he came back out before I could get up the courage to say anything. He tromped out with a backpack and that silly grin, and I knew there was no turning back.

"I have the snacks we'll need and lunch, let's go!" I half expected him to shout 'forward ho!'

He nearly skipped to the forest edge, whacked some bushes and held back some limbs for me. His face beamed. He was too sweet to turn down, so I followed the beard-free man into the forest. He had been kind enough to let me stay in his home, no questions asked. Keeping him company and indulging him was the least I could do. Of course, the idea of making a new path and finding something was a bit exciting, too.

"So, what do you think will be out this way?" I asked.

"Well, I've seen a bunch of deer come from this direction. You can see their prints there, and it's hard to tell, but they've made very narrow paths between some of the bushes, making it easier to walk through here. Wherever we're going, we'll know it when we find it," he spoke, very sure of himself. He was an interesting conundrum, so confident, but with hints of insecurities. I gathered that he wasn't used to talking to people outside of his family, and from what I understood, he was awkward and shy even then.

The thought of that made me smile.

**A/N - Okay, I was able to finish off this half-written chapter, so here it is, and now updating will be slower, but still weekly or bi-weekly. We'll cover ages in the next chapter, too.**


	10. Chapter 10

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for**Leukemia**& Lymphoma Society Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Chapter 10 – Grovel**

"So, why the rifle?" I finally asked after watching it sway on his back for nearly an hour.

"Does it bother you?" his brow furrowed, and I shook my head no. "Well, I've never had trouble with the wildlife here, but you know there's a first time for everything, and me being on my own doesn't bode well for me getting out alive if there was a confrontation. I haven't had to use it, and I hope I never have to."

It was a reasonable answer. He seemed so much different than the family I had met. He was the male version of Snow White, and he definitely wasn't involved with anything illegal, unless feeding the wildlife was, but I was pretty sure that was only frowned upon in national forests. "How much land do you have here?"

He seemed pleased that I asked. "I have about eighty acres, but before you go off thinking I'm rich, remember, it's in the middle of nowhere. I don't own the front section. My property line starts forty feet in front of my house. The rest is still owned by Mr. Terrantino. He wanted to keep the 'frontage land.' It was an investment he made, hoping that the small town about thirty minutes from here would grow and make his land prime business lots. Of course, after twenty years of nothing, he decided to sell the back half. It didn't appraise well. It was completely undeveloped, no road to it, no power, water, or gas, and the lines to connect it weren't even anywhere near this place."

"So how much did you pay?"

"Three hundred dollars an acre, it was twenty-five thousand dollars, with closing costs and stuff."

"Wow, so how did you get all that stuff out here?"

"I have a brother in construction. He plowed the trees and brush down to make a road. I did pay to have the well drilled. Thankfully, they didn't have to go too deep, so it didn't bankrupt me." He looked back at me and smiled. "The rest is propane, solar panels, and a generator if the weather is bad." He turned, stopping in his tracks. "I don't have air conditioning or heating. Are you okay?"

I wasn't sure what he was asking.

"Are you cold at night? I have another blanket. I thought the heavy one would be enough, but now I'm not sure. I usually use two blankets in the winter, but it's more like spring now, but kind of like winter at night. I have two blankets on winter nights, my light one and my heavy one, and that works…well, there's a sheet, too. I have a sheet and a light blanket, then the heavy one. The sheet is one you sleep under, not on, but I have one I sleep on, on my bed as well. So it's two sheets, one on the bed, and then one I sleep under, and then the thin blanket and the heavy one on top. You probably need another set of sheets, too..."

The poor boy was going to hurt himself with all his rambling. He actually seemed upset, which was silly. I was fine with my bottom sheet, top sheet and heavy blanket. I grinned to myself as I thought that.

"I've been fine. I was a little chilled the first night, but I made sure the curtains on the window were closed."

You would've thought I'd told him his dog died. "I knew it! I knew I should've given you another blanket, but I didn't want to disturb you, and I didn't know how warm my office was, the computers running nonstop kind of heat the place up in there. The thin blanket goes in the middle. I should've put it in there, but I didn't want to disturb you. I can't believe I messed it up..."

"I'm fine, Edward."

"I'll get you another blanket and fresh sheets." He actually took a few steps like he was turning back, but I grabbed his arm.

"I don't need them now."

His face turned bright red, "Right, yeah, you're right." He turned around and started walking again, but a little faster than before. Thankfully, with as thick as the brush and forest were, he couldn't walk very fast, so there was no chance that he could leave me behind.

We walked for another twenty minutes before we stopped. There was a large rock we climbed up on and ate lunch. The brush was too thick to sit on the ground.

"So is this it?" I asked from my perch.

"Well, I guess I could've brought some apples."

"I wasn't talking about food, but it's great, thank you." I tried to stave off another rambling fit. I was sure he'd go off on a tangent of forgotten snacks and lunch options. "I was wondering if this rock was my place."

He looked down at it and then at the surroundings. "Nah, I don't think this is it. Your place will be more than just a boulder."

Once lunch was done, we walked for another ten minutes and then he stopped suddenly. "We've found it."

I hurried forward and tried to see past him. I jumped, trying to see over his shoulder and failing.

He turned his head and smiled. "Welcome to Isabella grove," he moved aside and finally let me through.

There were several very large trees with no lower branches, they made a thick canopy overhead, but let in enough sunlight for the grass to grow, as well as some flowers that were scattered about. It looked like a picture-perfect scene right out of a movie or book, but the coolest thing about it was, it was full of ladybugs.

Edward reached down and picked up a few of them. "Are you afraid of bugs?" he held his hand away from me at first.

"No, no, I'm not." The bugs weren't just red, but orange, brown, yellow and black. I didn't realize they came in so many different colors. I moved closer to him to take the bugs off his hand. When his hand was on mine, it felt warm and comfortable. His smile was sweet, innocent and contagious, making my insides flip. "It's so beautiful here, thank you for bringing me."

"No, thank you, without you here, I would've just gone about filling the feeders and never ventured out here."

"I'm sure you would have eventually, but it's so cool to be here for the discovery."

My words seemed to really please him. He nodded his head in agreement with a split-faced grin. "It's nice that somebody else gets it, gets me."

"It's nature, what's not to get?" I teased him using his own line.

He laughed, and it was a sweet genuine laugh, not forced, cruel, or full of innuendos, just a happy laugh. It put me at ease and made me want to make him laugh again.

There was a fallen log on the edge of the grove, so we settled down on it. We didn't want to risk squishing the ladybugs by walking into it. "They may ease up the closer to summer we get. It's spring now, all the bugs and animals are busy and the plants are blooming. This really is the best time to come out here. Though the summer is nice, too, it's a little warmer, but you don't see as much wildlife lingering around. I do get a lot more birds. The hummingbirds should be coming soon. As soon as it begins to warm up, they'll all start returning."

"That sounds really great. I'd like to see them."

He looked at the ground and then up at me nervously. "Did they tell you how long you'd have to stay here?"

I shook my head no. "I hope I get to stay here through the summer." I realized after I'd said it that I might not be welcome, "Unless you don't want me to."

"No, no, I'd love to have you. Like I said before, you're pretty quiet, and you enjoy yourself out here. You get me." His cheeks pinked as he looked away.

"Yeah, I get why you like it here. It's peaceful and beautiful. Honestly, it's just what I need right now. I really needed to get away from that whole mess."

It looked like he wanted to ask me about it, but bit his lip and asked me something else. "So, what did you want to do when you went back?"

"I suppose go back to Saint. Mary's. Victor said he was getting a settlement for me, so I should be able to pay for my last semester."

"St. Mary's?"

"Yeah, St. Mary's private school."

"Like high school?" He was starting to look worried.

"Yup, I'm a senior there."

"Oh, ah, that's nice, um, 'kay, we should probably, um…" The poor guy was turning into a bumbling mess again.

"Did you go to school?"

"Yes, public school, and then a technical school to learn programming."

"Oh, that's what you do all day?"

He nodded yes, "I work from home. It's nice and quiet and nobody bugs me."

"So you don't like people?"

"Not people per se, just large loud groups. I grew up in a very loud, rowdy house. I was the youngest, so I was picked on a lot. It's not that I don't love my siblings, but things got bad after a couple of them married into the Volturi family. There were a lot of 'friends' in the house that probably shouldn't have been there. Being the youngest and smallest made me a target a lot. They never really hurt me, though. My sister would step in to stop them. I don't do well with confrontation, at least not off of my land. I feel like I can defend it. I'm safe here. You probably think I'm silly. You hung out with them by choice."

"Well, I am a girl, and they have a different set of rules for them." Saying that made my insides cringe. "So, how old are you? Everyone says you're the youngest, but no one said how young."

"I'm twenty-one," he glanced at me sideways.

"I'm eighteen; my birthday was back in September."

"Really?" He seemed to perk up a little, and his excitement was amusing.

"Yes, really, that's why I was able to move out of my parent's house and drop out for a semester without any legal repercussions."

"Oh, right, that makes sense. It's good to know that no one is looking for you."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I'm sure the Feds are still trying to use me to gather evidence. They really have nothing on me."

"Can I ask you why you'd protect them? You do know they're bad people."

I tipped my head to the side, trying to think of a way to answer him. "They were always very nice to me and took care of me when no one else would. They called me family, so…" I shrugged, "You don't rat out family."

He frowned and looked away.

"Do you think I did the wrong thing?"

He just shrugged.

"Would you cooperate with them?"

"I don't know. I guess it'd depend on what it was and who it was concerning."

"I don't have damning evidence, just enough which might get them a search warrant."

"So, you didn't see anything?"

"Nope, I was given something and was told some hearsay about it. It was destroyed when a crazy Fed set it on fire and did this," I held up my arms.

"They set you on fire?" he shouted and caused the birds to fly out of the trees overhead.

"Yeah, so you see why I might be hesitant to work with them. I wouldn't put it past them to plant evidence."

"Lord Almighty, you got yourself into a mess."

"I thought they told you about it the first day I was here."

He shook his head no, "I called Ann Marie, because she'd know the most. Her husband is only one under the big boss, along with his two brothers. She told me that you'd proven yourself to be a loyal friend and didn't deserve to go down for this. She said they were trying to pin a charge of interfering with an ongoing investigation on you. She also mentioned that you were a little self-conscious about your arms. She didn't say why, though. I didn't realize it was related to that whole mess."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it in a nutshell." I felt a little relieved that he didn't hold my not talking against me. I realized then that I cared what he thought about me. I figured that if someone who seemed so innocent could accept me, then maybe I wasn't such a bad person after all.

**A/N - Okay, now we're slowing down on the chapters…**


	11. Chapter 11

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom forLeukemia& Lymphoma Society Please check out the website **Fandom4lls blogspot** and donate to them.

**Dollybigmomma did her magic beta trick on this chapter, Tada! It's readable. **

**I'm hanging with her this weekend so it will be Monday before we get another chapter out. **

**Chapter 11 – Back**

The walk back to the house was wonderful. Well, it was for me. I stood back as Edward pulled out his machete and cleared the brush with his shirt off. Yes, he was sweet and strong. I would bet this was why they had invented the phrase "strong silent type." Or maybe strong and nervous babbling mess might have fit better. His worried rants were endearing.

He would talk when he felt comfortable, but seemed content to be quiet as well. He worked away, never complaining, and the few times he stopped for a drink, he was smiling.

We finally broke into the cabin's yard, and he stood up, stretching his back. I knew his body would have to be sore from working so hard to cut the path, but he didn't look like the type to complain.

I stood back and looked up the path he had made, my path, to my grove. "That's amazing. I'm really going to hate leaving it."

When I turned around, I saw his smile was forced, and he turned away from me. I hoped I didn't upset him. He walked over to the hose and bent over, rinsing himself off, not saying another word. I could only guess he wasn't happy about me talking about leaving after he'd done all that work for me. I must have seemed ungrateful to him. He grabbed a towel out of a cabinet inside the back door and dried off. "Let me get dinner started. Do you mind watching it while I shower?"

"Sure, that's fine."

He seemed a little down as he moved around his kitchen. He was humming a song, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I knew I had heard it before, and it was driving me crazy. He passed me the spoon for stirring and slipped off to the shower.

It didn't take long for the food to finish, and I put it in his little mini oven to stay warm. I decided to get my bed ready. I was exhausted and planned on dropping dead on it after my turn in the shower.

I heard muffled singing. I couldn't make it out, but it was definitely the same tune he had hummed before. I leaned in a little closer, when it became blaringly clear.

"_All by myself…I don't want to be…all by myself…anymore..." _

I stood up straight, shocked. I looked around, almost as if I would find someone else to confirm that I did just hear Edward singing Eric Carmen's song, _All by Myself_. The only reason I knew the song was because it was one of my mother's favorites. She often sang it loudly before she passed out.

I honestly didn't know what to do. I quickly rushed to the kitchen and made myself look busy. I didn't want him to know that I'd heard him. When he came out, I gave him a nervous smile as I set the last dish on the table. I wondered if he could tell that I had been listening to him by looking at me. He didn't seem to, though. He sat down and dug right in to the stew. It was probably best that I didn't bring it up and never let on that I could hear him in there.

Dinner was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. I looked at him confused. "You have a phone?" I felt like an idiot after I said that. I knew he had one. He'd used it the first day I was here, but I hadn't heard it ring once the whole time I'd been here. I'd forgotten it existed.

He nodded, "I have a cell with an unlimited data plan for my internet. It was the only way to get it out here. I'd be too costly to run a cable out here, but I do have good cell service from the tower up the road."

He went to answer the cell phone that was sitting on his desk. It was connected to his computer with some kind of wire, or what I thought was a charging cable. He looked at the caller ID and let out a huff. That scowl from my first day here was firmly fixed on his face again. "What do you want?" He didn't even bother to say hello first.

His scowl lifted to worry, and his eyes darted over to me. "I don't think that's a good idea." He outright frowned. Then his brow dropped again like he was getting mad. "I don't need you bringing anymore trouble out here. She's fine where she is, and she doesn't need any company. You keep away from here."

He closed his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths. You could tell the person on the other end was still chattering away. It obviously had something to do with me. I gently touched his shoulder to get his attention and motioned for him to give me the phone. His shoulders sagged in defeat, but he handed it over anyway.

"Hello?"

"Bella, my god, I thought that crazy uncle of mine took a hatchet to you or something." It was Marcus, and my chest pinched with the ache I had been trying to avoid.

"No, he'd never hurt me."

"Does he have you at gunpoint making you say that?" he chuckled. I didn't like him talking about Edward that way.

"No, he's been very nice to me."

"Not as nice as I can be, right, baby?"

"Don't you have a maid to fuck?" I snapped. I knew I had no right to be upset about something that had happened before we ever tried to be exclusive, but it still stung.

"Ah, come on, you know I didn't knock her up on purpose. You know it'd be just you and me if that didn't happen. I miss you." He sounded sincere, and it made it hurt even worse.

"I know, but you have more important things to focus on now." I fought back my damn tears, making sure my back was turned to Edward. I didn't want him to see how upset I was. I didn't want him to think me another whore his nephew jerked around.

"I've got time. There's always a chance she'll lose it during the first trimester."

I felt like he'd punched me. I sat down on my bed, trying to steady myself. "I can't do this."

"Bella, please, you know I want to be with you."

The tears broke loose.

"Sweetheart, I wish I was there to hold you. You're it for me. It's killing me to stay away from you."

I still hadn't gotten over my crying.

"I want to come out and stay with you this weekend, just you and me."

"And Edward," I added.

"Yeah, and that nut job," he chuckled. It wasn't anything like Edward's laugh. "I'm sure we can hit the bedroom when he's distracted by his nature shit. I'm sorry you got stuck out there. You must be going crazy."

I didn't like the way he talked about Edward or his home. It was enough to get my tears under control. "I like it here. It's quiet and relaxing."

"Sure, baby, I'm glad you're being a trooper about it. I'll bring us something to do. Mom said there's no electricity out there at the freak's house. Maybe I'll bring some cards and we can play strip poker." His laugh was starting to get on my nerves.

"No, I'm fine," I tried to shake it off. I was hurt and upset, and now he was making me defensive and mad. Edward had been nothing but kind and understanding, and he wasn't a nut job or a freak. I could see why Edward didn't like his family coming out here.

"Okay, I'm sure I can think of something for us to do. I need to see you. It doesn't feel right when you're not around. Even when we weren't talking, I could at least watch you. I had my friends looking after you so they could tell me about your day. I swear I nearly took Tyler Crowley's head off when I saw him looking at your ass. That's my ass. I know you think it's hopeless, but I'll find a way to fix this. You're mine, and I plan on coming out there and proving it to you. I'll bet you miss my fingers, don't you, baby?" his voice was suggestive.

"You need to focus on your maid, Marcus. You need to be there for her, not here with me. Don't drag this out. Don't make it worse than it has to...to…don't…" I lost my steam and burst into tears again.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Edward looked worried. He was standing too close for his own good. I sobbed harder, wrapping my arms around his legs. He pulled the phone from my hand and hung it up.

My snotty face was buried in his thigh, with my arms around his knees. He ran his fingers through my hair, trying to calm me, but everything I was running from had hit full force. I wanted it to go away. I'd cried it out that first night, and then I'd cracked that time at school, but I had been doing so well here.

I felt Edward pull on my arms so I'd loosen my grip on his legs. I sat back embarrassed, but only for a moment. He sat on my bed next to me and pulled me into his arms. He was so sweet, it was too much. Another round of tears hit, but he just held me, not asking questions or prying, not shushing me, he just held me. I'd hide here forever if he'd let me. Somehow, I knew he wouldn't let Marcus upset me again.

I cried myself to sleep and woke the next morning to Edward's heated voice. "You tell him to stay away from here, Ann. She was a mess last night, and that was just a phone call. You said she's been through a lot. Don't let him make it worse."

He let out a sigh, and I watched him shift on the couch in the living room. "I don't mind if you come out to check on her, but leave that hoodlum of a son of yours at home." He took in a deep breath. "You didn't see her last night. I won't let him do that to her again. Damn it, Ann Marie, I said no. I swear to god I'll shoot the little bastard if he comes here. You know it'd take at least an hour if not two to get him to Joey. I wouldn't feel bad, either, for making him feel at least half the pain he made her feel last night." He took a few deep breaths, like he was trying to settle down. "I'm fine with you coming, your driver can come, but he's not to get out of the car. I don't want any of them wandering around my property. It's not a dumping ground." He let out a huff and snapped, "Fine," then hung up.

I sat up on my little bed, catching his attention. "Hey, how are you doing this morning? I've got bacon!" he said with a grin, like bacon was the cure for everything.

I smiled back and giggled, because I knew he would protect me, and bacon did sound really good right now, especially accompanied by his smile. "I'd love some bacon."

He hopped up and quickly set the table. He plated the food and sat across from me, still holding that smile on his face. "I didn't fill the bird feeders or put out the deer corn yesterday. Would you mind helping me out?"

"That sounds like fun."

"Really?" He was surprised. I didn't know why.

"Yeah, really." Talking with him made me feel lighter. "I love watching the birds. Filling the feeders sounds cool, like it's me out there feeding them. You know, like the bird lady on Mary Poppins, without the poop."

It was his turn to laugh, which made me smile wider. That genuine sound of happiness was what I needed to forget about the past. I felt the overwhelming need to hug him and thank him for last night, and for protecting me this morning.

Before he could stop me, I threw myself into his lap and hugged him around the shoulders hard. "Thank you, so much."

"For what?" He was still stunned, but slowly wrapped his arms around my waist.

"For being there for me last night," I took a deep breath, "and for this morning, I heard you on the phone. Thank you."

He ran his fingers through my hair and smiled at me. "Hey, you're my nature buddy. I've got your back." He gave me that goofy grin again, causing me to smile. Yes, this place was the distraction I needed.

"I've got yours, too, unless there's a bear."

"You'd ditch me if there was a bear?"

"You're the one with the gun. What do you want me to do, dance with it?"

He let out another of those perfect laughs. "You have a point. Very well, you're allowed to not have my back if there's a bear. But I do suggest you stay behind me when I'm shooting the gun."

I got up off his lap and gave him a salute, "Will do."

"Let's get to work then, solider, we have hungry mouths to feed, and they tend to act like animals if they don't get their food in a timely manner."

He soon had me smiling and laughing like yesterday had never happened. He was exactly what I needed right now.


	12. Chapter 12

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom forLeukemia& Lymphoma Society Please check out the website **Fandom4lls blogspot** and donate to them.

Look at me squeezing in a chapter while I help Dollybigmomma get her house ready to sell. She's my Beta queen and took care of this while we rested our aching bodies.

**Chapter 12 – Red**

Edward led me out the back door and around the side of the house. There was a large shed he marched into, not even bothering with the lights. I pushed the door open wider so I could see inside better. There was a large machine-looking box thing and a few shelves full of different kinds of feeders. There were several bags of different feeds lining the floor under the shelves.

"Watch out, I need to get the work table out. It makes it much easier to fill the feeders." I stepped back as he pulled out a wooden folding table. "Do you mind getting the feeders off the shelves? I'll grab the bags of food."

"Sure." I jumped into action and got to work. There were ten feeders in all, and five red feeders that didn't hold seed. "Should I get these, too?" I pointed to them.

He looked back at them and smiled. "Yeah, we'll fill a couple of them and hang them where we can see them. As soon as the first hummingbirds come, we'll fill the rest."

I held the feeders as he tipped the large bag over each one. I did my best to keep the seeds aimed at the opening so the food wouldn't spill all over the table. Once those were all full, I went to work closing them off. He pulled a tall stick with a hook off the back wall of the shed. "Now we swap them out."

We held the full feeders in our hands, and he had the hook under his arm. I passed him a full feeder and took the empty or low ones from him as he brought them down. I watched as he deftly hooked them onto the branches with practiced ease. "You're really good at that."

He looked at me, furrowing his brow, "At what?"

"That…hanging them up there. I'm having a hard time not spilling them when I hold them with my hands, and you're just scooping them up and swinging new ones up there like it's nothing."

He gave me a happy smile, "Well, I've had a lot of practice. Would you like to try one?"

I looked up at the treetops; he was barely reaching a few of the feeders, even using his big stick. "I don't know if I'm tall enough."

"Follow me." He led me to the lowest one that was still high above our heads. "Take a shot at this one."

I set the feeders down and took the pole from him. I realized this was way harder than I thought it would be. The pole was heavy, and to keep control of it by just holding the very end of it was nearly impossible. I held it with both my hands, and it still wobbled around a bit. I would swear I heard him snicker behind me. I couldn't be offended, because I was laughing at myself as well. I finally got close to the feeder, but ended up knocking the last of the seed out of the side, making it rain down on us. I had shut my eyes in preparation of getting a mess on my face, but I didn't feel any of it. When I opened my eyes, I saw Edward's hands hovering over my face.

"You alright?" he asked still shielding my face, as if protecting me was completely normal. He shook some seeds out of his hair, and then went to brushing the seeds off his body.

"Yeah, thanks."

"I've had a face full of seed before. It's not fun, and it's nearly impossible to block when you're holding that pole," he nodded to the pole in my hand.

"Duly noted." I hooked the now-empty feeder and brought it down, feeling a little triumphant. "I did it."

"You did great, especially for a first time. I was out here for hours the first time I tried hanging the feeders up high. More birds come because they feel safer when they're up so far from the ground."

"I wondered about that."

"Would you like to put the replacement up now?"

"Oh, no, I spilled a mostly empty one. I don't want a shower from a full one."

He laughed and hooked it up with ease.

"Show off," I teased and he smiled.

Once the bird feeders were hung, I helped him carry out a trough of some kind. He pulled it off into the woods on the side of the house, but still very visible to the back yard, perfect for viewing from the swing. He hurried to the shed and came out with two big bags. "This is the deer corn. They usually eat it from a tall feeder, but I found the other animals trying to get into it as well. The first year I had one, it ended up full of squirrels, I had to fish them out a few times. They weren't very happy about that." He held up his hand with a little bite scar.

I gasped.

"They were scared, Bella, but they're very friendly otherwise. Anyways, that's why I got this instead. The sides are lower, and the long shape lets them get a running start so they can jump out if the food gets low."

The trees started to swish behind us, and his grin grew wide. "Here they come." Once that first bag was empty, the trough was swarmed by squirrels, who immediately started jumping around each other trying to claim their spot at the food. A few were run off by others, but Edward assured me they'd come back and eat when the others left. I suspected he knew this for sure because he looked out for them all. He really was the male version of Snow White after all.

We filled the last of the feeders, and then he dusted himself off. "I'm running low of food. I'm going to have to go to town. Would you like to come with, or do you have to stay here?"

"I'd like to go with you, if that's alright."

"Yeah, that's great."

We went to a town that was nearly an hour and a half away. He drove an old beat up truck that had no radio. When that was brought to my attention, I wondered where he had heard that sad song. He was younger like me. It was not something we would know, like a common nursery rhyme or anything. He started humming again, but this time it was funny. I picked up on the tune right away and decided to sing along.

"_If you're happy and you know it clap your hands_," I clapped. "_If you're happy and you know it clap your hands…"_

He chuckled, but sang along with me instead of humming. "_If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it, if you're happy and you know it clap your hands_," he laughed and sang out loud with me.

We had fun coming up with different things to put in the song, and instead of clapping, he would stomp one foot, and then we stuck out our tongues, shouted hooray, wiggled our noses, and flapped our arms like chickens. We had fun coming up with things he could do while still driving.

We were grinning, giggling messes by the time we got to the home improvement store. He grabbed a flatbed cart as we went into the garden side of the building. "Hey, Jan," he called to an older woman.

"Hello, Edward," she answered with her back to us, but when she turned around, she startled. "Oh, I'm sorry; I thought you were a friend of mine."

"I am a friend of yours," he chuckled.

She scrunched up her face, looking at him closer. She must have finally recognized him, because she suddenly looked surprised, "Where's you beard?"

He shrugged and his cheeks pinked, "Shaved it."

Her eyes landed on me, and she realized I was with him. "Oh, I see." I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I think she got the wrong idea about us. "Who is this lovely young lady?" the grandma-aged woman asked grinning.

"This is my friend, Bella. She's staying with me for a while.

"Really?" She sounded way too excited.

You could tell Edward was getting a little flustered when he stumbled over his next words. "Get anything new in?"

"We did get in a new order of birdhouse."

"Birdhouses? I love birdhouses! Where are they, can I see?" I asked.

The woman's grin got huge, and she winked at Edward, who blushed even more. She led me down an aisle, and on the end of it was a huge collection of different birdhouses. They all looked like different stores. I was giggling as I took in their detail. Outside of the bird general store was bags of feed and hay for nesting. The library had a few bird-titled books. The restaurant sported a menu in the window with different kinds of seed and berry dishes.

I felt Edward come stand behind me, "Why don't you have any birdhouses?" I asked. It was strange that he had so many feeders and no houses.

"Well, they have houses, in the trees." I looked back at him and frowned. "But you can pick out some if you'd like. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to have some of them hanging around, too, now would it?"

"Really, you don't think it's silly, or going to mess with the rustic look of your home?"

He smiled wider, "Go ahead and pick out a few." He picked up a doctor birdhouse and chuckled. "They can't go without a doctor."

We ended up getting six of the different birdhouses. We were reading off the silly things written on them, which had me distracted, and I almost fell into a display pond. Edward caught me before I hit the water. "Are you alright?"

He carefully righted me and looked down toward the pant-covered shin I had bumped.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I got a little distracted by the bird town." I looked back at the pond and got an idea. "Hey, Edward, why don't you have any sort of water out for the birds?"

He looked over at the pond and then back to me, "Next weekend?"

I got excited, "That would be so cool!"

"We'll see how cool you think it is with all the digging and moving of rocks."

I hip checked him, "You know it'll be fun."

He got a huge grin on his face, "Yeah, I think it might be."

When we got home, he pulled out a huge ladder and a toolbox. I held them while he mounted the birdhouses in the trees. I swear it scared me half to death when he would go up so high, and I told him as much. He confused me when he said thank you. He was thanking me for being worried? I didn't get him.

The following week after dinner, he'd call me over to his office and we would look online at different water features the home improvement store had. It was sweet of him to let me have some input on the project.

We walked around and looked for a place the animals would feel comfortable coming down to the ground to get a drink. We also wanted to make sure it wouldn't be too deep so they wouldn't drown. I came up with the idea of putting a low rock in the middle they could get to if they did. He called me a genius.

I was bouncing in my seat come Friday afternoon. Edward quit working early so we could pick up the stuff for the pond and grocery shop. He asked me what I liked, and if there was anything I missed eating. I suggested ice cream. When we came to the toiletry items, he sent me to pick out my girl stuff. I told him I'd find a way to pay him back, but he insisted it wasn't a problem.

I crossed the feminine products and realized I'd need some very soon. I was startled when he came up behind me and looked at the wall of tampons. "Do they have the brand you like?" he asked as if we were talking about shampoo.

My face burned deep red in embarrassment.

"I have six sisters, Bella. You really think I was never sent to the store for tampons before?"

I snatched a box off the shelf and he chuckled at me. "You need some painkillers to go with them?" He pointed to the shelf with PMS painkillers, "My sisters swear they work better than the regular stuff, why don't you try some?"

I was mortified. I couldn't believe we were actually discussing this. I went ahead and grabbed a box just so we could get the hell out of this aisle. I didn't think I could handle it if he suggested a feminine wash.

He didn't even flinch when he set my stuff on the conveyer belt at the checkout. I didn't know why I thought he would. He grabbed a couple of chocolate candy bars and tossed them up there, too. I didn't even want to ask if he was buying me PMS comfort food.

Could you actually die of embarrassment?


	13. Chapter 13

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for **Leukemia **& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

Dollybigmomma finally got a chance to look at this, so it's beta fresh.

**Chapter 13 – Rocky Road**

Once we put everything away and had dinner, we planned out our Saturday. We needed to refill the feeders and dig out the hole for the plastic pond mold. We had decided to leave it raised a little so the larger animals wouldn't have to bend down so much.

The next morning, he was out in the yard clearing some brush so we could dig the hole. I started on breakfast. It was the first time I'd cooked for him, but I felt more comfortable with doing it after shopping with him to buy the food.

He came in smiling, "You made breakfast."

"I saw you were busy, so I thought I'd help out."

"Thank you, that was very kind." When he said that, I felt bad for not cooking earlier. I'd have to make it a point to cook for him more often.

When we went out to work on the pond, I realized he had already dug out the hole. "I was going to help you with that."

"I know, but I didn't want you to wear yourself out. I'm gonna need a lot of help with placing the rocks, and some of them are really heavy."

The pond had a little bit of a waterfall feature. It was supposed to help keep the water fresh. It also gave the taller animals a higher drinking point, not to mention it was pretty. We stacked the rocks around the base, making little natural-looking steps. It had a float to keep the water level steady and not waste water at the same time. The pond itself was only six inches deep, and a four-inch wide rock was placed in the center of it to keep small animals from drowning.

It was well past lunchtime when we stepped back and turned the water on. "Now we wait and see if the animals take to it," he grinned, pretty sure they would.

We took lunch at the window seat in his room. It had a perfect view of the pond, and with us inside, it gave the animals time to inspect it. It didn't take long for some birds to make their way down, and the squirrels were in it quick. I was thrilled when I saw a deer come sneaking in cautiously and take a drink.

It was suddenly spooked, making me frown.

"Someone's here." He didn't sound too upset or excited.

"Eddie, where are you, sweetie?" Mrs. Volturi called.

"My room," he answered with a deep sigh and went back to looking out the window.

She opened the door and glanced at the bed, as if she expected us to be there. She grinned even wider when she saw us with our lunch plates by the window.

"We put in a pond for the animals today. Come see it. There was a deer here a few minutes ago." I stood up and offered her my seat. Edward stood up as well, taking our plates to the kitchen.

Mrs. Volturi sat down in his vacated spot. "How are you doing out here?"

"Good, I've really enjoyed my time here. Edward let me pick out some birdhouses," I pointed out a birdhouse mounted up high in the trees, "And it was my idea for the pond."

"I'm glad you're having a good time. I have some papers for you to sign. Victor sent them. They're for your trust fund. I left them on the table in the kitchen." She led the way into the main room, taking a seat at the little table.

"That's good; I was hoping to use some of that money to go to Saint Mary's for the last semester. I'll probably have wait and take my classes during the second semester starting next January." I looked out the window and focused on the squirrels going crazy. "Have my parents asked about me at all?" I already knew the answer, but one could hope.

She squeezed my hand and changed the subject. She gave me my answer without actually saying it. "We're going to cover the cost of you finishing your last semester. It's the least we could do, since we had to have you sequestered out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Thanks."

"Now, let's go over the trust. I had him set a large portion aside for education. You're a smart girl, and I had a feeling you'd want to go to college."

"Yes, I've had my eye on a few colleges. I'll have to adjust the dates on my applications, if I can even get them. I left them at my parent's house."

"Don't worry, honey, we'll get your stuff, no problem."

I looked down at the seven figure number. It'd be more than enough to cover college. "I won't have to get a job with this. I applied for scholarships, but they only cover so much. I would've needed to get a job."

"Well, now you don't." Her eyes glance to my arms, and I was tempted to hide them. "You seem to be doing well here."

I shrugged, "I like it here. It's nice, Edward is nice." I looked back out the window, "He picked that birdhouse. It's a doctor's office," I smiled remembering.

"I brought some books for you to help keep you busy."

"That sounds good. I spend a lot of time watching the animals. I guess I could read, too. I really love that back porch swing. Edward has to pry me off of it most days."

"What else do you do out here?"

"There are trails and stuff. The animals are really entertaining."

"You coming to stay here didn't seem to bother Edward. He's handled you being in his home very well. I was a little worried, but I knew he wouldn't turn you away. My little grump usually likes to be by himself."

I grinned, thinking about all the fun we'd had together so far. "I don't know about that. We like goofing off together."

"Goofing?" She glanced at the bedroom door, and my cheeks burned red.

"Not…we sang, 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands,' and a few other silly songs on the way to and from town. We fill the feeders together and talk. He cut me my own path and named it after me. It leads to this beautiful grove full of ladybugs."

She squeezed my hand, "It sounds like you being here has done him some good. I'm happy to hear that."

We heard a gun go off, and we both ran to the front porch. I could only guess that Mrs. Volturi's driver had stepped out of the car. Edward had the rifle pointed at someone hiding behind a car door.

"That was a warning shot," Edward growled.

"Christ, Eddie!"

"I warned you, Ann. I wasn't kidding around."

She moved in front of him, pushing the gun up between them, but not grabbing it. I had been so focused on the pair that I hadn't noticed who was ducking behind the driver's side of the car.

"Bella!"

When I heard his voice, it blindsided me. It was shocking how much it hurt to have Marcus here in person, it ripped me apart.

"Do you see that?" I heard Edward say, but I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Baby, I figured it out. Call off my crazy uncle and I'll tell you all about it."

I didn't move from my spot.

"Give him a minute, Edward," his mother pleaded.

"Bella, baby, please."

I was finding it hard to breath, but I felt my body charge as soon as he started to come closer. I heard Marcus run up the steps and he swept me up into his arms. I buried my face in his chest as I burst into tears.

"I've got you, baby, I'm here now. I'm so sorry." I felt him kiss my hair like he had so many times before. He lifted me and carried me into the house, keeping me crushed against him. "I've missed you so much, the smell of your hair, your skin..."

His lips were on my neck and then quickly moved up to my lips. He kissed me lightly and pulled back. My eyes met his that were full of pain and desperation. "I can't stand you being away, baby. I need you. I think I've found a way for us to be together." He had carried me into the bedroom and pulled me down on the bed with him. His arms held me in a vise grip. I felt him take a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm losing it like this. God, you've got me all fucked in the head, don't you." He smiled down at me, and I tried to temper my feelings. I tried to stop the hope from growing. His lips dove into mine, and I did nothing to stop it. His hands made quick work of my clothes like they always had. They burned my skin and made me want to forget how wrong this was. He pulled back from kissing me and wiped a tear from my cheek. "I'm here, baby, I'm gonna fix this. I can fix this." His mouth moved down my body. I prayed that he was right. He moved up my body, undressing himself and kissing my skin. He paused to suck my breast, and then he moved his lips to my mouth. I felt his cock bounce on my clit. I was begging god that Edward had a condom in his nightstand.

Marcus pushed against me, but I caught his shoulders, "Whoa, hold on, condom."

"No." He pushed again, and I shoved harder.

"Stop, we have to get a condom or do something else." I went to reach for the drawer, but Marcus pulled my hand back, pinning it to the bed. He nuzzled my neck, trying to make me forget, but there was no way in hell he would distract me enough to forget protection.

I felt him shift to line himself up again, and I caught his shoulder with my free hand. "Marcus, we have to stop."

His lips hit mine with more desperation. "We can't, not now, we can't. We're so close, I need to if this is going to work," he panted between kisses. I felt him try again, but I shifted my leg, blocking him. He cradled my head in his hands, his eyes were pleading with me, but I would not give in on this. "Baby, it's the plan, it's how we can fix everything, how we can be together."

I didn't fully understand what he was saying. He grabbed my knees and pulled my legs wide, ready to push forward again. "What?" I stopped him again. He needed to explain himself better.

"I need to fuck you hard, baby, so hard and knock you up. Fuck," he rubbed hard against me. "I want to knock you up so bad."

Knock me up? "What the hell?" I shoved him off me.

He reached for me, but I scooted away, grabbing my shirt.

"Bella, baby, listen to me, if I get you pregnant, then you can be mine."

I yanked on my jeans, shaking my head. He was making no sense. He pulled me back against him, his hand sliding down my unzipped jeans. "You want my touch as bad as I want to give it to you, baby." His other hand was on my breast. God, he could cloud my mind in seconds. His lips were on my neck, his cock grinding into me while his fingers did their magic. "I want you to be mine, only mine. I can do that, baby. I can keep you, marry you, and be with you the rest of your life."

It sounded too good to be true.

His hand started shifting my jeans down. "I just need to put a little something in you. I need to fuck you right." He was moving us back to the bed, and I hated that my body had no will to fight him. "Once you're pregnant with my baby, we can tell the others, and then I can marry you."

HOLD UP. My mind caught every last word. My arms shoved him off of me. "You're not getting me pregnant!"

"Bella, please, I swear, you'll be good in the eyes of the church. You'll be my wife, so no foul there."

I stormed into the main room, needing to be away from the bed. Marcus and I near a bed never ended well. He came out of the room, hopping into his jeans, "Come on, baby, you know it'll work. It's perfect."

"Perfect? How is you getting me pregnant perfect?"

"Because I can choose you. If I have to marry a knocked up girl, I want it to be you."

"And what about the maid, Lisa Marie, and her child? They aren't going to just go away, Marcus."

He tried to reach for me, but I stepped away from him.

"Don't worry about them."

"No, what are you going to do about them, Marcus?"

"She'll be my goomah," he shrugged like it was nothing. I felt like I had been doused in ice water.

"Your goomah?"

I heard the rifle cock, and then Marcus was jolted away by his ear. His mother looked furious. "Knock her up and have a goomah? That's your ingenious plan?"

"Ouch, Ma, cut it out!" he tried to squirm out of her grip.

"Wait until I tell your father about this!"

"You know he'd be all for it. He loves her. He wanted me to knock her up before. That's how we got into this mess in the first place. It was his damn plan. He wants smart grandkids, not stupid whore grandkids."

"I swear to Christ, Marky, if you don't get your ass in that car, I'll shoot you myself!" She shoved him with her foot, and Edward held the gun out for her to take.

"Jesus, you're both fucking crazy. Think about it, Bella. Don't write it off, it could work," he called as he hurried out to the car.

A goomah, I had figured out what it meant over time. He'd keep a whore on the side. It'd never be just me. I was so stupid to think he could ever settle down. I didn't know why I expected more from him. I burst into tears.

I felt his mother wrap her arms around me tightly. "I'm so sorry, honey. I swear, I'd never let him treat you like that. You're such a good girl, Isabella. You don't deserve this." She gave me another squeeze as I tried not to cry my eyes out. "Don't worry; I'll take care of it all. You stay here with Eddie. I'll make sure the moron stays away from you." I was still struggling to keep it all under control, but I failed completely. "Oh, baby girl."

After a moment, I was pulled from her arms into Edward's. I hid my face in his chest. I knew he'd let me cry it out. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid to fall in love with Marcus. I knew better. I had kept my distance from him for so long, only to fall into his damn trap anyways.

"Jesus, you got her, Eddie?" I felt him shift, nodding yes. "Shoot his ass if he comes out here again, don't kill him, but make it count," Mrs. Volturi ordered.

"I was gonna aim for a hand or foot," Edward confessed.

"The same goes for my husband. I'll make sure they both know to stay the hell away, or else. I'm sorry, honey." I felt her hand on my back and her lips in my hair. "Take care of her, Edward."

"I will."

We heard the crackle of the gravel in the driveway, signaling their departure. I didn't want to move from my spot. I didn't want what had happened to be real.

Edward scooped me up with ease and carried me bridal-style to the couch. He tucked the throw blanket around me tightly, holding me a moment more before he kissed the top of my head. "I'll get you some Ice cream."

My eyes stayed unfocused as I tried to push all my foolishness away. How could I have been so stupid?

A bowl appeared in front of my face. "It's not bacon, but my sisters swear by it." There was a candy bar stuck in the ice cream and no spoon. I looked at it confused. "It's better than a spoon." He sat down next to me with his own bowl of ice cream and his candy bar spoon. He scooped some up and shoved it against my lips instead of his own. "Just try it."

I took the bite. He was right, it was good.

"It's worth the chocolate-covered fingers." His smile was huge as he waved his chocolaty fingers at me.

"You could've left the wrappers on the end," I suggested.

He gave me that happy grin. "Always looking to make improvements, first birdhouses, then ponds, and now wrappers on candy bars, what's next? Are you going to insist on a song night around a campfire?"

I felt myself start to relax a little.

"I think I have marshmallows if you want to, but I think we might get too much of a sugar rush with the chocolate and Ice cream. Marshmallows might be a little over the top. Though, if we put them in our ice cream, I'm not sure if that still counts against us." He looked to be really contemplating it.

"Rocky road."

"Rocky road?" he asked looking out the window.

"It has marshmallows in it."

He smiled down at his bowl, "Yes, it does, we should get some of that, too."

I looked down at my chocolate-covered fingertips and smiled. I waved them at him and he rolled his eyes. "Fine, we'll leave the wrappers on next time. Now eat your ice cream before it melts, chocolate and all."

And just like that, he took my mind off my broken heart. I didn't know what I'd do without him.


	14. Chapter 14

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

Beta fresh by Dollybigmomma

Chapter 14 – Hanging

We filled the feeders after eating ice cream, and he said I could take a shower first. When I stepped into the bedroom, the rumpled sheets caught my eye, and the guilt hit me like a Mack truck. I was ashamed I had acted like such a clichéd hormonal teenager. I was stupid, out of control, and desperate for Marcus to have a solid plan for us to be together. I was an idiot to have confused his need to possess me with love. It was ridiculous that I'd felt special while he behaved so badly, but that was Marcus. The bastard could probably get away with anything, and it was hereditary. It had to have been since none of them were in prison.

Edward walked into the room, looking at me and then the bed, before he whipped off his shirt. "You okay?"

He took a few steps toward me, and I felt a little slutty. I was ogling him, because I thought he had a nice body, one I hadn't really noticed before. I didn't know what had changed now. I'd seen him with his shirt off before…just not by his bed, while I was in his room, with the door shut.

"Bella, honey, you okay?" he waved his hand in front of my face.

I cleared my throat and nodded. I was sure he'd chalk it up to another one of my depressed dazes that happened now and again.

"Are you feeling dirty? You got clothes for me?"

My eyes snapped to his. He started undoing his pants, walking toward me. I thought he looked hot with his shirt off, but that didn't mean I was ready to fuck him.

"Edward, I…" I had my hands up to stop him, but he reached out, pushing me to the side and went into his closet. There was a little stacked washer and dryer in it. He tossed his shirt in the washer and then looked over his shoulder at me. "You gonna shower first? You should pass out your clothes. I'm gonna do a load here in a minute."

"Right, yeah, of course."

"Do I need to wash my sheets?"

His question stopped me in my tracks, "I, um…no?"

He chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Either you did or you didn't."

"We didn't, but we were…"

"Did he juice my sheets or not?"

"Juice?" My eyes popped when it sank in. "No, gross, he never…we don't…though I guess…Jesus, just kill me."

"Last I knew, he was into saving people."

"What?"

"You know, Jesus saves and all."

"Oh."

"So my sheets are good?"

"I'm sorry, I can't believe that I…"

"Bella, you're not the first girl to act that way around a Volturi, and you won't be the last. At least it wasn't my sisters," he shivered disgusted.

"No, but it was your bed, and I'm so glad you didn't have condoms or…"

He chuckled, "What makes you think that?"

"You have condoms?"

He shrugged, "They were a housewarming gift."

"Oh."

He laughed, "So since you didn't find the condoms, and he didn't juice, what were you doing?"

My face was such a deep red, I would swear my head was on fire.

"I'm just kidding, Bella. Feel free to roll around naked in my bed, I'm okay with it."

"What?"

"I said feel free to use the rolled bedding to make your bed. I'm okay with it," he apparently repeated.

My mind was somehow stuck in pervert mode.

"You're too easy, don't hurt yourself. I'm sorry, my sister visiting made me remember a joke we used to play on my mom all the time, drove her nuts."

"Joke?" He lost me there.

"Rolling naked in my bed?"

My eyes darted to the bed. "How did you know I was naked?"

His eyebrows shot up. "I didn't until now. I'm guessing Marcus was, too?"

He didn't wait for me to answer. He just started pulling on the bedding. I helped him take if off. "I'm so very sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm usually a nice girl. I'm not like that. I'm not a slut."

He squeezed my shoulder. "I've lived with you for a couple of weeks now, Bella, I know how you are. You don't need to explain yourself. Remember, I know how weird girls get around the Volturi's. It'd probably be weirder if you didn't act that way. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't have a condom on him."

"He wanted to get me pregnant, remember?"

"I never said the Volturi's were geniuses."

"Really, I'm so…"

"Stop, Bella, it's fine."

We made the bed, and then I went into the bathroom and undressed. I handed my dirty clothes out to him, and I noticed how his eyes ran up my arm to my shoulder and stopped where the door covered my chest. I wondered momentarily if I was hanging out, but he grabbed the clothes and walked away quickly.

My sticky tear and snot-covered face was coated in dirt. It looked like I'd been crying muddy tears. It was so gross, no wonder he insisted that I showered first. I wouldn't want to look at me, either, and not only for that reason. I couldn't believe he was being so cool about the whole mess.

When I stepped out of the shower, he only had on a pair of low-slung sweatpants, his toned muscles on display. I couldn't believe I was only noticing them now. I was making myself feel sick. This was my sweet Edward. I knew I shouldn't ogle him. It'd probably make him uncomfortable, and then he'd kick me out. I was sure he'd think I was a slut. God, I really was so messed up in the head.

I tried to ignore what happened and went to the kitchen, ready to make dinner. I noticed my trust papers on the table and moved them to my room/study and set them on the desk, because that really was the only place to set things.

I went back to cooking and had the table set and ready for Edward when he came out, showered and all clean. I noticed he didn't shave, and I wondered if he'd hurried to get out of the shower. He usually took his time in there.

We were unusually quiet as we ate. He finally broke the silence. "So, you must've been some hotshot queen bee cheerleader to get Marcus to act so crazy."

I snorted, laughing into my soup, "Not even close."

He chuckled, "I find that hard to believe."

"Chess nerd," I pointed to myself.

"You play chess?" He sounded excited.

"Yeah, most people in the chess club do." He looked at me, scrunching one eye. "I'm a geek, Edward. I had no friends, and the few geeks I hung out with turned their backs on me when I broke up with my geeky boyfriend."

"So how…?" I could tell he was trying to find a way to word the question so it didn't sound offensive.

"Marcus and I were assigned a history project together."

"I don't believe he'd willingly work on a history project."

"Neither did his mom, she was sure I was blackmailing him." I was sick for thinking it was awesome that she had been ready to go after me for hurting her baby. "It was after the first time I stepped in and saved him from the feds."

"Why did you?"

"You remember that geeky ex-boyfriend I told you about? He was coming after me in the hall, about to hit me, but then he was gone, and there was Marcus, looming over him. Mike never laid a hand on me or ever tried after that. Marcus saved me. It was my turn to save him."

"I'm sure he was just itching for a fight," Edward grimaced.

"He might've been, but his need to fight caused everyone to settle down. The bullies disappeared overnight. We geeks really appreciated his presence."

His eyes softened a bit. "So, geek then, I guess that makes two of us."

We went back to eating when something hit me. "Hey, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know what a queen bee is?"

His cheeks pinked. "I've got sisters, remember?"

After dinner, we played a rousing game of chess. I beat him once, but he beat me twice after that. He laughed when I chucked the rook at his head. "I can't believe they let such a sore loser play chess in the chess club."

"I can get away with it here. What are you going to do, give me detention?"

"I just might, where is my notepad? I'll write you up right now. It'll go on your permanent record, Missy," he pointed a bishop at me, as threatening as a grandma.

I fell into a fit of giggles, hitting the board and messing it up further.

"Oh, now you've done it, that's grounds for suspension."

"Suspension?" I pretended to be appalled.

"Yup, suspending the feeders, you're on take down duty."

"Hey!"

"Do worry, I've got a bee hat somewhere."

He opened his couch, revealing a hidden compartment. I always wondered why it was so hard. It was where he kept his rifle and ammo as well.

"Nice hidden compartment, am I going to be protecting you from the Feds as well?"

It was his turn to snort, "You know my seed is illegal."

My eyes widened, "What?"

"Gosh, you're so easy. You were with me when I bought it, Bella."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know if it was legal to feed the animals. It's not in some places."

"Like the zoo?" he chuckled and I hit him with a pawn. "Oh, forget that, now you're on pond scum duty."

"Hah, a soak in the tub would be pleasant," I feigned.

"Well, the pleasure is yours," he gave me a flourished bow. "Now help me collect the pieces or we'll never have the joy of playing chess again."

I dove, snatching a piece out from under his foot before he could step on it, getting my hand smashed in the process. He jumped back like his foot was on fire, "Holy cow! Bella, are you okay?"

"Yeah, God save the queen," I held her up triumphant.

"You're such a nut," he laughed. "I think I like you as a nerd."

"Gee, thanks," I held my smile, not feeling offended at all.

A week later, I was serving my pond scum sentence. There wasn't a lot of stuff growing in the pond, so it wasn't so hard. Of course, the pond didn't look that big, until you were cleaning it out. I was knocking the algae off the sides and catching it with a little net, where I would tap it out on a rock. The water didn't look cold, but it was way colder than I thought it would be.

Edward was busy cleaning out the trough of deer corn. I was nearly done, and Edward was dumping his first bag of deer corn, when a gust of wind blew the dust at me. I was caught off guard and tried to swat the dust away from my face, only to get smacked with my net. I tripped over the rock in the middle of the pond and ended up falling straight into the water, lying back against the waterfall feature like I was trying to shower.

I heard the heavy thud of boots and the splash of Edward coming to the rescue. He pulled me out of the water and checked my head. "You'll have a good knot on your head from this. Are you alright? Does anything else hurt?"

"No, just my pride."

"Don't feel bad, the drowned cat look works for you," he teased.

I gave him a shove, not meaning to knock him over, but he tripped over the same damn rock that I had. I was starting to think water wings would have been a better way to save animals that go for a swim.

He sat in the pond, looking up at me stunned, and I just burst out laughing. "Yup, drowned cat is a good look for you, too."

"See if I come to rescue you again."

"You will." Somehow, I was sure he always would if he could.

He smirked, "Yeah, but you can at least pretend to worry that I won't."

I reached down to help him up, "No, I can't, because then I'd doubt if I'd do the same for you, and I wouldn't ever leave you hanging."

He got up smiling, "Are you sure about that?"

"Well, I might leave you hanging laundry," I offered

"Good thing I have a dryer," he picked me up, setting me out of the pond, before he stepped out of it himself. "Though it may be a good idea to hang dry your delicates."

I smacked his chest, "You're such a guy."

"You noticed that?" I thought he had to be crazy thinking I hadn't noticed, but I guess in reality, I hadn't really noticed until this past week.

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious," I motioned to his soaked shirt stuck to his chest and abs.

"Good to know. So, no hanging your out delicates, then?" he asked smirking.

"Only if I get to hang yours, and keep in mind, I know where the peanut butter is."

"Peanut butter?" he asked amused.

"Oh yeah, I'd train the squirrels to go for your nuts."

"Oh, what happened to not leaving me hanging?"

"Just keep your hands out of my panties and we'll be fine." I headed to the house and snatched a couple of towels out of the back cabinet, handing him one.

He caught me staring at his chest as he dried it, but he didn't call me out on it. The only indicator that he'd seen me checking him out was him saying thanks with his damn cute cheesy grin of his. At least he wasn't creeped out by my looking. Unfortunately, he seemed to find it amusing. I must have come off as a slutty chest nerd with hormonal issues.

Lord, help me. I needed to leave this sweet boy alone!


	15. Chapter 15

**I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for ****Leukemia ****& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.**

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**Chapter 15 – Games**

I kept looking. I knew it was wrong of me, but I kept looking, and I would swear he was finding reasons to take his shirt off just to mess with me. He'd never had to shake the birdseed off of his shirt by removing it before, but now it seemed the most effective way to get it off.

He always had that damn cheeky amused smile, too. He was taunting me, and I had half a mind to walk out topless just to see how he'd react. I notice him checking me out, too. I thought he was going crazy at first. I could feel his eyes on me, but when I turned around, he was looking all over the place, like he was trying to catch a fly. After a few times, I realized there wasn't a fly, but only after I looked with him to try and kill the thing. He found my gullibility amusing. I was sure I was a bowl of candy bar ice cream laughs to him. I guess it was good that I was keeping him entertained.

He had really loosened up with me, but he felt a little distant at the same time. His beard was back in force, but I knew what was under it, so it didn't help him hide. I think he was trying to play it cool about something, and I suspected I knew what it was. I wasn't happy about it, either, but there wasn't a damn thing I could do to change the past. I think I was hoping it wasn't that, that he wasn't upset about us in his bed. I wanted to believe he was cool with it, but he played it too cool that night and had been playing it too cool since then, with his teasing and dirty word games. His awkward rambling days were, over and mister snarky dirty jokester had taken his place.

"Grab my cock, please," he said it so innocently, and then, "Bella, can you grab my pot, please," pointing to the cabinets. He found his messing with me hilarious. The problem was he didn't always mess with me. I really did have a dirty mind.

He had his back to me the other day and said something, but all I made out was butt squeeze. I know it wasn't him messing with me, because he didn't repeat himself and looked at me funny. He asked me what I was thinking about so hard. I was pretty sure he'd said something about birdseed, not me giving his butt a squeeze.

I was tempted to just act out what he teased me with. One of these days, he'd ask me to grab his cock, and I'd just do it before he could say the next line. I was seriously trying to come up with something to say like that. He was way too good at coming up with phrases that he could make double as something else. I did come up with one, but I hadn't found a good time to use it. I was going to ask him to grab my boobs while pointing to my books, because I would've supposedly asked him to grab my books. Damn, I wished he'd grab my books and play with the page corners.

There was this space between us, like he was teasing me to come closer, but at the same time stepping back. I wondered if it was his way of getting me back for hurting him. The thing was we were still us. We still fed the animals, hiked, had picnics, and played chess. We sang goofy songs, and he still creeped me out with his complete disregard for my PMS. No man should ever be that comfortable with menstruating, no matter how many sisters he had.

We did make a fire circle with some big rocks and made s'mores a couple of times. They were our after-dinner dessert. I had caught him looking at my chocolate-smeared mouth and his leg started bouncing. I was hoping it was because he wanted to kiss me, and not because he was anal about keeping things clean. After living with him for over a month, I noticed he liked things a certain way. I had been the brunt of a lot of his jokes, and it was making me nuts. It was time to turn the tables on him. He couldn't torture me like that forever.

He wasn't really obsessive about cleaning things, but he did like to keep things in order. He never got mad, just changed things if I didn't do it right. I couldn't resist messing with him to get him back. I'd put the little forks where the big ones were stacked when I put the dishes away. He never said anything to me about it, but would take the time to fix it as soon as he noticed. He kept the towels on one shelf and the washcloths on another, and I'd mix them up. I'd put one stack of each on both shelves. He had no clue I was messing with him, but I was. He almost caught on when I put my light blanket on top of my heavy blanket. He helped me remake my bed and noticed my smirk. Hopefully, he thought it was an, "I'm horny," smirk and not a "Ha, sucker!" smirk.

When it came time to use the grab my boob line, things got weird. It was pond cleaning day. I'd admit to wearing a white shirt and getting it a little wet. Not on purpose of course, but it was wet and sheer, and Edward definitely noticed.

I told him to take a shower first and asked him to grab my boob so I could read while I waited for him to get out. He cleared his throat, saw I was pointing at my book and said, "Yeah, sure." I didn't think I executed that right. He might have actually misheard and thought I did say book. I couldn't tell him I didn't and come off as a pervert. Lord, help me. I had to find another way to get him back, and not just get even, but get him to act like my silly sweet Edward again.

Soaking my shirt so it was translucent and sending him off to the shower first seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it was just uncomfortable. My shirt was sopping wet. I decided to change out of it really fast, hoping to be done with it before he got out of the shower. I took off my shirt and bra, sticking them in the washer like we usually did after our workday. When I turned around to grab a shirt, I found Edward standing behind me, his towel over his shoulder. The closet seemed so very tiny compared to the size of his…muscles. He wasn't covered, at all, anywhere. My eyes were stuck, and I think I was drooling.

He swore, and his hand dropped to cover himself. I was able to make my eyes move up his body, only to find his eyes stuck on my breasts. I'd sort of forgotten about those when I saw his dick.

"Bella?" He sounded so pained, like he couldn't breathe. He pulled the towel off his shoulder and moved it around his waist.

"Wet, I'm wet…was wet," I stuttered.

"You mind…?"

"Yes, yeah, right, sure, out, naked," I waved my hands like a freak and ran out of the room, only to realize I didn't have a shirt. So yeah, topless in the living area, by myself; thank god it was a secluded cabin with no sneaky binocular neighbors.

When he stepped out, I kept my back to him and my boobs covered. "I, ah, forgot to grab a shirt."

"Yeah," was all he said. He was really leaving me hanging.

"I'm gonna go take a shower."

"'Kay," was his answer, but when I turned around, I realized he was standing in front of the bedroom door and his eyes were stuck on what my hands were covering.

"Edward?"

He cleared his throat, "Yeah?" His eyes didn't budge.

"Shower."

"Yeah, nice."

"I need to take one."

"Sure." You'd have thought there was superglue on his eyes. He obviously wasn't coherent, and I made a messed up split decision. I moved my hands.

His eyes went huge, and his breathing became rough. I got nervous and covered them up quickly, and that seemed to do the trick, his eyes snapping up to my very red face. "You're in front of the door."

He looked behind himself like he was surprised. He jumped away from it like it was attacking him, and I ran for the bathroom. He wasn't there when I got out. I couldn't blame him. I wasn't sure I was ready to face him, either.

At dinner, things got really weird. We were sitting over our bowls of stew, and he seemed really focused on his spoon, before he said, "So, nice boobs."

He just threw it out there like he was saying, "Nice day."

"Um, yeah…you, too…big, good for…ah…twelve kids," I ended up just nodding my head. I could see why his mom kept going after it, if his dad was hung like that.

He burst out laughing. "Thanks."

"Yeah, sure."

"Chess?"

I misheard him and covered myself, looking down.

"The game?"

"Right, right, yeah, I knew that. Sounds fun, good. I want to play."

"Cool, I want to, too."

He set up the board, and I tried to convince myself that I didn't have to hold my shirt on to cover my boobs. We settled in, and he let me make the first move.

"Sorry," he said, not telling me for what, but I think we both knew.

"Me, too," I whispered.

The game was quiet; there was no taunting or teasing. We played it to pass the time, to make the day go faster, and to end the evening. Once the third game was over, we would go our separate ways and hopefully wake up believing this was all a messed up dream.

I won the second and last game, making me the overall winner.

"Good job," he offered.

"Thanks." I helped gather the pieces and pack them away. I almost felt like I should shake his hand and say good game, but I didn't. He took the chessboard to his room, and I went to bed.

Being naked had hit the reset button on Edward. The dirty jokes stopped, and the rambling was back and apparently contagious. I found myself giving a long stuttering response about using a bookmark as opposed to laying the book down open or bending the corner of the page. There was no reason for it, either. He was just handing me the damn thing, the bookmark wasn't even in danger of falling out.

His torrent on using garlic instead of onions was pretty comparable, though he made some good points. Bugs didn't like either one, but eating garlic could possibly stop them from biting you, and that was not true for an onion. They did keep bugs out of the garden, but not off your skin. At least his rambling was educational.

The rest of the week went on in this rambling painful way. When it was time to go shopping, we sat in silence in the truck cab. I couldn't take it. I started singing, using full-on hand motions and everything.

"_I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn popping on an apricot tree. Spring had brought me such a nice surprise, blossoms popping right before my eyes. I could take armful and make a treat, a popcorn ball that would smell so sweet. It wasn't really so, but it seemed to me, popcorn popping on the apricot tree._"

When I finished up, Edward was laughing so hard he was struggling to not swerve the truck.

"Your turn," I said with a big grin, and just like that, we were us again.

He grabbed a few tins of Jiffy-Pop to cook over the campfire and waved them at me. "I'm craving popcorn."

I shrugged, "I wonder why?"

We hokey-pokeyed on the way home, and we were happy and we knew it, clapping our hands.

That night, we made the popcorn, and I taught him the Popcorn Popping song, hand motions and all. I wouldn't be singing it solo again. Though it did lead to him singing ten little monkeys jumping on the bed by himself. I helped him with the last few verses. There were ten of them, and I wasn't going to make him sing them all by himself. It was pretty funny when he would sing the doctor's part with a deep voice.

We started goofing off around the fire, catching popcorn we tossed in our mouths and leaving the rest for the birds when the fire died down. I brought him a bucket of water to pour over the hot coals, and he took it with a big beard-covered grin. "Thanks," he said, but it sounded like he was thanking me for more than the bucket of water.

Then next morning, he'd shaved.


	16. Chapter 16

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for**Leukemia**& Lymphoma Society Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Dollybigmomma saved me like Jesus and a sinner. This chapter is readable because of her.**

**Chapter 16 – With Friends Like That…**

Things with Edward were great. We were back to being comfortable and goofy. He was easily my best friend, and since he never mentioned anyone else, I figured I was his best friend. That was until someone else came up his driveway and he smiled.

My insides twisted, and for some insane reason, I was jealous that he was smiling about something that had nothing to do with me and everything to do with someone else. The car had not even stopped yet, but Edward was running out to meet them. Even after they parked, I couldn't see the person driving. I really, really didn't want it to be a girl. He pulled the door open and yanked a guy into his arms. I breathed a sigh of relief, and then I saw them laughing and hugging, and I freaked out, scared that he'd be gay. I wrapped my arms around myself insecurely and remembered I had boobs, nice boobs according to him, and his eyes had been stuck on them. He was just good friends with this guy.

I was standing in the doorway, and the guy didn't notice me until they reached the porch. "Hot damn, you have a girl out here."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Bella, this is Jasper, my friend from school."

"So, Edward, you found a girl that likes to play recluse with you?"

"It's nice out here," I defended.

For some reason, that just made the pair of them smile even bigger. I stepped out of the doorway and let them in. I was hoping I could somehow disappear into the walls or something, but this place was so small, there was no "out-of-the-way" place to be.

"What have you been up to, my man?" Jasper asked and plopped down on the couch.

Edward leaned against the hearth, still wearing that grin I claimed as mine. "Bella's been keeping me busy."

"I'll bet she has," he taunted.

We both turned a deep red. "It's not…we're just…you know, doing stuff."

I picked up my book off the couch, "I'll be out on the swing."

Edward nodded at me, and I would swear Jasper was looking right through my clothes.

"Dude!" I looked back to see Edward kick Jasper's foot.

"I'm not touching," Jasper put his hands up in the air.

I didn't know how long I had been on the back porch, when Edward called me in, "Dinner's ready."

"Are we doing s'mores after?" I asked taking the milk to the table.

"Yeah, Edward, I want s'more." I didn't know what was with Jasper, but he seemed like an ass to me.

"Sure, we can have s'mores, if that's what you want, Bella," Edward glared at Jasper, as if he was making sure he wasn't giving in to him.

Jasper kept smirking at me, and I could tell the goofballs were kicking at each other under the table like toddlers. I had half a mind to nail them both in the shins.

The two of them were throwing marshmallows at each other, and then Jasper started to show off by juggling. I left the pair of them to go shower. I had finished dressing and opened the door, only to have Edward push me back inside.

He shut it behind me, leaning against it. He looked like he was working up the courage to say something, so I waited. When he looked up at me, I could tell he was stressed. "So here's the thing. Jasper is an asshole. He's cool when it's just us, but if there's a female…hell, it could even be a female animal, for some reason he goes a little nuts. He's not humping your leg yet, but I suggest you not dance with him, because he will, and you shouldn't get too close to him, because he _will_ grab your boobs." He rubbed his face and sat on the bed, looking much too tired. "He thinks we're together, that's why he hasn't 'put the moves on you' yet. So, unless you…um…I guess if…I don't…ah…" He sounded like he was choking.

"Dating is cool. How are we playing it? How serious are we?"

A smile cracked on his face, and he let out a relieved breath. "I don't know, just whatever you want."

"Okay, since I've seen you naked, I think I can fake your lover. Are you cool with that?"

He blushed a deep red, but nodded yes.

"Okay, let's do this," I said like a football player.

We stepped out of the bedroom, and Jasper looked me up and down. I was so glad I'd put a night bra on. "Do you need to wash up?" I asked.

He started toward me, and I stepped back by Edward and leaned into him. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist. Jasper took in the move and smirked, "I guess you'll have to help Edward in the shower instead of me."

"Yup," I said like it was nothing.

Once he disappeared into the bedroom, Edward moved to the couch. His head was in his hands. "He's spending the night. He'll take your bed and you'll take mine. I'll sleep on the couch under the guise that you kicked me out because my friend is a sick bastard."

"He is, but that's kind of a petty reason for kicking you out. I think we should come up with something better."

He looked over at me and chuckled. "Okay, why are you pissed at me?"

"We should make it good, like you were too rough last night, and you have to sleep out here to keep your hands to yourself."

He outright laughed, "How about I called your mom a bitch?"

"She is, maybe you called an old girlfriend?"

"Don't have one and he knows that. How about I won't let you have a dog."

"You won't, why not?"

"They'd chase off all the animals and poop in the yard."

I leaned back, nodding in agreement. "I don't want a dog."

"Bella," he whined.

"Fine, you were looking at porn."

He smiled widely. "He'd believe that. Okay, I have a porn problem, and you find it offensive."

"I would, you know."

"Good to know. I don't look at that stuff, but I know he does."

"Alright, should we move this to the study, so it can look like I caught you?"

"I don't want to pull up one of those sights. They're full of all sorts of viruses and tags."

"I thought you didn't look at porn."

"I don't, but I've fixed several computers before I settled out here."

"Okay." I flopped back on the chair that was usually my bed. "Are we gonna play this by ear?"

Just as I said that, Jasper started moaning. Edward's eyes went wide, and I looked at the thin wall, praying I wasn't actually hearing what I thought I was. Jasper started cussing and talking dirty. Edward looked like he was gonna puke. "I can't believe he's doing that in my shower!"

"I'm not cleaning that up." There was no way I was going near that.

Edward was hiding his face from me again. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I can't believe this. At least it's not in your bed."

I heard the bedroom door open and snapped into my role, "How could you, Edward?"

He looked at me surprised, and I realized he didn't know we were acting.

"You freak and your porn, I'm sick of it. I'm not doing anal, it's just gross."

I stormed out and shoved passed Jasper, slamming the door. I heard Jasper laughing loudly and knew it had worked. I found the extra bedding in the closet and figured I'd have to throw it at him. I walked out and found the pair of them smirking. I couldn't have that. "You asshole, you think this is funny?" I threw the blanket on the couch, but swung the pillow at him several times, beating him with it. "You and your big tittie obsession, they're fake in that shit. I have boobs and they're real, how can you not like my boobs? Do you know how that makes me feel? Like my boobs aren't enough, that my body isn't enough for you!"

"I love your boobs!" he shouted at me.

"Your body is banging," Jasper chimed in.

"Oh, shut up, Mr. Jack-off, you're so cleaning my shower! You sick bastard. The pair of you stay out of the bedroom."

I rushed out of the room, slamming the bedroom door and belly flopped on the bed, hiding my giggles in the pillow. The look on Edward's face was priceless. He was mortified when I said anal and panicked when I was shouting about my boobs. It took me a while to wind down from my fake fight, but I did eventually fall asleep.

I woke to grunting and was really scared to open my eyes. "Whoever is in the bathroom better not be getting off!"

"Nah, sugar, Edward has me on shower duty," Jasper said with an eye roll. "You know that wouldn't have happened if you would've joined me."

"I'm with Edward."

"And how's that working for you?"

"Have you seen his dick? You went to school together. You must've been in gym together at one point. Believe me, I don't need anything else. I doubt you could ever live up to the weapon he carries in his pants."

"What are you guys talking about, weapon?" Edward walked in.

"Your cock, she associates it with a weapon. I'm guessing that's why she doesn't like anal," Jasper said like he was talking about dinner entrees.

Edward looked flustered again. "Can we not talk about anal? I don't want to…"

"So you were just watching it for laughs?" I asked.

He tipped his head back, "Christ, Bella, drop it. I don't want anal with you, and I love your boobs."

"Promise me no more porn."

"A man can't promise that. He has needs," Jasper cut in.

"I have a pussy to meet those needs," I glared at Jasper and then pointed at Edward, "No more porn."

He put his hands up like he conceded. "No more porn. Now, is my shower clean? I didn't get a turn last night because it was contaminated."

"It was washed down the drain. You act like I was killing someone in there. It's not like you never did it, Ed. I'm sure you do it plenty with that tight little ass bouncing around."

"You can leave now," I said flatly.

"I'll check out that new trail you cut. It's been a while since I communed with nature. Go ahead and have make-up sex while I'm out, unless you want me to join you and help you both with your anal issues."

"God, no, Jasper, I told you no!"

He shrugged and walked out, like he didn't just proposition a threesome and letting Edward screw him in the ass. My mouth was hung wide open. Once we heard the back door shut, Edward lay into me. "I can't believe you accused me of wanting anal! Didn't I tell you he was a sick bastard? You just had to keep pushing it. I was scared he was gonna join me on the couch!"

"I thought he was into women?"

"He is, and whoever else is involved with one. He's bi, and I usually don't have a chick around, so him trying to hump me has never been an issue. We should've gone with the dog. In fact, that's what we're going with tonight. You can't have a puppy, so get over it."

He stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door. I had a feeling that bathroom was going to be staying clean. I dressed before heading into the kitchen, and was surprised to find Jasper leaning on the back door. "So, no make-up sex? I was looking forward to listening to that."

"Nope, apparently his friend pissed him off and creeped him out when he offered to let him fuck him in the ass."

"That sounds so deliciously dirty coming from your mouth."

"The only thing going in your mouth is breakfast. Get out of my kitchen so I can cook."

"I can help you."

"Really, dude? Go play with yourself in the forest if you can't handle being around me."

"I can…"

"Don't finish that."

"So how'd you meet Ed?"

Then it clicked in my mind. Maybe if he thought I was in with the Volturi, he'd leave me alone. "I was brought out here to lay low."

"Lay low?"

"You know he's related to the Volturi." Jasper paled. "Yeah, his brother-in-law and sister, Ann Marie, just adore me and really appreciated me helping them out. They'd be upset if I was unhappy here. She comes out to check on me. She only trusted her little brother to look after me."

"Edward's not in with them."

"And that's the point. Like I said, lay low. The Feds won't look here, right?"

"You…you, gotta be lying."

I scrambled to find a way to prove it and decided to show him my trust papers. They were drawn up by Victor Masen. "Do you know how involved Edward's family is?"

Edward stepped out, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Dude, you said you don't get involved with that part of the family."

Edward's eyes darted to me. "Don't you know the meaning of laying low?"

"Shit!" Jasper swore.

"Do you want them to move you?"

I realized that my telling might not have been a good idea. "I didn't, I thought he'd leave me alone."

He glared Jasper down. "I told you to leave her the hell alone!"

"Fuck, I didn't know she was Volturi!"

"You keep your mouth shut, or so help me god, if anything happens to her, I'll let them know you were the leak," Edward jabbed him.

Jasper nodded his head, backing away slowly. He was quiet the rest of the morning. Edward announced that we had to go into town to buy more seed. He wanted to hit a feed store for something called sweet feed.

I sat between him and Jasper, and I had to say, I was impressed with Jasper's restraint. He actually kept his hands to himself. His thigh kept rubbing against mine, but that was it.

Edward nodded to a man as we walked in. The guy nodded back and then went back to staring at a customer down the next aisle. You could tell he thought they were a shoplifter. Edward grabbed the guy's attention and went to talking about feed, and I wandered down an aisle that had poultry feed. I was halfway down it when I heard a woman moan, "My god, your ass is beautiful." I turned around to see a tiny woman covered in piercings and wearing a short leather dress. She had a riding crop in her hand and slapped it against her palm as she leered at me.

"Um, thanks?"

"I'm Alice, Alice Brandon, and I'd love to show you some real appreciation."

"That's…nice. I'm not…I don't…I have a…" I pointed in the direction of Edward.

I heard Jasper chuckle and turned to see him leaning against the shelf. "It's a shame that she's your cup of tea, darlin', because I truly believe you're mine, and I'd love to drink you down."

Alice smiled and began stalking…yes, stalking…up to him, still snapping that riding crop in her hand. "You look delicious as well," she traced the riding crop down his chest. His breathing was heavy, and hers was starting to match his. I decided now would be a good the time to leave the aisle.

I found Edward at the front of the store, and I did my best to look innocent and in no way involved with what I was pretty sure was going on in the poultry feed aisle. There wasn't any sound coming from there, and I thought maybe they'd snuck out. Then there was a loud snapping, and Alice was shouting at Jasper to go faster. Or I should have said we heard a snap of the riding crop and her shouting, "Ride, stallion, ride!"

Edward made to go see what was happening, but I grabbed his arm, "Don't, you really don't want to go down there."

The shop owner came around the desk as we heard some more shouting. Once I saw he was going down that aisle, I figured it'd be safe to follow. Jasper and Alice were stretched out across a pallet of chicken scratch.

Alice ran her fingers through Jasper's hair, "Such a good pony," she cooed. I think he had just met his freaky match. The shop owner was pissed, but they bought the top several bags of chicken scratch and the riding crop, along with a whip and chaps. I had a feeling there would be no animals actually involved in the use of those items. At least I hoped not.

Alice followed us back to Edward's, where Jasper picked up his car and then followed Alice back to her place. I had a feeling we weren't going to be seeing Jasper anytime soon.

I plopped on the couch, relieved he was gone. "I don't like you having friends," I complained to Edward.

"Why is that?"

"'Cause you're my friend, and I don't like to share. Besides, your friend's a douche."

"Yes, he is, but we all have to learn to share."

I sat up pouting. "No, we don't, you're my best friend, and you're not allowed to have another best friend, so get over it."

He smiled, highly amused. I didn't think he realized I meant it. "So I'm your best friend?"

"Yup."

He walked over to the couch and grabbed my foot. "You're my best friend, too, and that means you're my bird feeder helper, too."

"Yeah, I am, so don't bother with anybody else. I don't like it."

"Okay." We headed for the back door when he stopped me. "Just so you know; I don't like it when you bother with other people, either."

I looked at him, checking to see if he was teasing me, but he didn't seem to be. I nodded, "Okay, no bothering for either of us."

His grin grew wide and mine matched, "Sounds good."

"No anal, either." I just had to go there one last time.

"Christ, woman, you're worse than my brothers."

I shrugged, "If your best friend doesn't tease you, then who will?"

"Fine, turn around and fuck that way."

"What?" I nearly screeched.

"I said turnabout is fair play. What did you think I said, Bella?" He gave me his "I'm so guilty but playing innocent" look.

"Oh, you think you're all that, but you'll see, I'll get you back, and you won't even know it." I was plotting my towel and silverware rearranging in advance. The fool would go mad. I so was going to put the cups on the wrong shelf, too!

"Hey, I thought I was your best friend?" He gave me that smile, that sweet cheeky one.

I hip checked him with a grin of my own. "You are, you really are." And I meant it. The sweet boy blushed, and I knew I was in trouble then.


	17. Chapter 17

**The Naughty Babysitter was nominated for fic of April, you should check out the stories they have posted at twifanfictionrecs and vote for some.**

/2013/05/01/vote-for-your-top-ten-completed-fics-a pril-2013/

**Chapter 17 – Bothered**

That last joke in the kitchen was all he had dished out. I'd admit I was a little nervous, worried he'd go back to being distant dirty Edward with a beard, but he was shaving, and he hadn't told another dirty joke since. I was pretty sure it had been just in retaliation for me tormenting him with my teasing about anal sex.

There was a change between us, though. We were happier than before. We talked with ease, and there was little to no rambling. We both still did it when we were caught off guard, but it was a rare occurrence. We settled into a relaxing friendship, and I liked it, but I was starting to feel restless.

It wasn't so much that I wasn't happy, just ansty with our mellow lifestyle. I decided to shake things up a bit. He didn't notice when I'd messed up his forks and towels before. I wondered how long I could do it until he caught on that I was doing it on purpose.

I started with just what I had been doing before. I mixed the big and small forks, and I put the towels and washcloths on the same shelf. They were fixed in short order, but not a word was said. I decided to get crazy. I put the towels on both shelves, and then I put a couple of washcloths on top of the towels. I chuckled a little when I heard him huff about that.

I thought finally, we were getting somewhere, and so I mixed up all the big and little forks, as well as the big and little spoons. I sat on the back porch giggling as I heard them clanging around while he fixed them. I wondered if he'd catch on soon. I decided to get crazier. I moved the cups to a different shelf.

I was getting out of the shower when he found those. I heard him shuffling around, while I hid my snickering. I felt bad because he seemed to be a little irritated about the whole mess at dinner, but he didn't say a word. I washed the dishes and set them out to dry. I did arrange them the proper way in the drainer. I figured he'd had enough already.

The next morning, I made breakfast. Edward still seemed to be in a pouty mood. "Are you alright?"

He looked at me, and his face softened with a sweet smile. "Yeah, I am." It was genuine, and I was kind of relieved. I was worried he'd snap at me and kick me out. It was time to come clean.

I did the dishes after breakfast and started to put them away. I worked very slowly, hoping he'd feel my eyes on him and turn around. It worked, and I put a cup on the wrong shelf right in front of him. He took a deep breath, but didn't lose his smile as he came up to me, taking the next cup from my hand and putting it on the right shelf. Now that I had his attention, I was gonna hit the big guns. I opened the silverware drawer and got right to mixing them up.

He fixed what I put in there and grabbed the few I had in my hand, but there was more, and I blatantly put them in the wrong place right in front of him, wearing a big grin.

He picked it up, frowning. "Bella," he whined.

"Yes?" I said oh so innocently as I placed a spoon in the wrong place.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, I'm just putting away the silverware," I replied while sticking another in the wrong place with a bigger grin.

"Why are you putting them in the wrong slots?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bella…"

I poked him in the chest with a fork. "Am I forking with your head?"

He scrunched up his face, trying to figure out what I said. It hit pretty fast, and his eyes went wide. "You're doing it on purpose!"

I burst out laughing at him. "I was bored, and I didn't like the whole turn around and fuck that way thing. I told you I'd get even."

His shoulders sagged, and his head tipped back. He was laughing, though. "So the towels, the cups, the silverware, socks and shirts…"

"Socks and shirts?"

"You messed up my socks and shirts. You hung the long and short-sleeved shirts mixed together, and my socks were in their balls, but not in rows."

"You seriously keep your socks in rows?" He blushed and shrugged. "I'm not sure if I can remember to make rows, but I'll try and hang your shirts right."

"You will?"

"What would you have done if I'd kept mixing everything up? What if I wasn't doing it on purpose?" He just shrugged. "Edward, if I'm driving you nuts, you have to tell me. You're my best friend. I love you and want you to be happy. If I'm upsetting you, you need to be able to tell me so I can fix it."

He looked like he was holding his breath, and I was worried I had really upset him. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Breathe, Edward. Come on, let's have a chess break. We need to talk, and that seems to be the easiest place to do it."

We set up the chess board and got right into the game. "Is there anything I do to bug you?" he asked.

I shook my head no. "You're cool. I just got a little bored and decided to play with you. It's a good thing I did, because we needed to get this out. Why didn't you confront me sooner?"

He shrugged. "I'm happy."

"Happy?"

"Yeah, you make me happy, so a little fixing here and there is no big deal."

"I'm happy, too. Remember that I want you to be happy, too, Edward, so talk to me if something's bothering you."

He blushed a little, but nodded in agreement. "So, there's nothing?" he asked.

"Well, I don't like that you stopped taking your shirt off to shake out the birdseed, but that's neither here nor there. I can live without it."

He laughed out loud, and that was what I wanted to hear right now. I knew we were okay, and things could only get better from here on out.

That weekend, I was cleaning the pond and held back my giggle as he spilled some seed on himself. I was going back to work when he called my name, "Hey, Bella." He had that mischievous grin as he whipped off his shirt to shake the seed out of it. I wolf whistled, causing him to laugh. He was hot, that was for sure, but he was still my best friend.

"I'm not flashing you back," I teased.

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair, now is it?"

That smile stuck on his face all through dinner, and that night when I slept, I dreamt of Edward in a way I hadn't before. In this dream, I didn't mind flashing him, and he didn't mind taking off a lot more. It was one of those dreams that had you needing a change of underwear. I was flushed and embarrassed when I woke up the next morning. As usual, Edward was at his desk working, and I really hoped I hadn't talked or moaned in my sleep.

He didn't look away from his monitor when he heard me get up and put my bed away. "Good morning, breakfast is in the oven waiting for you."

I hadn't realized it, but I had slept in later than usual. "You can wake me. I like eating with you," I offered, hoping he would.

After my meal, I picked one of the several books Mrs. Volturi had left for me. They were all trashy romance novels. I had left the really scary half-naked pictured ones for last. Unfortunately, I was starting to make my way through those, and I didn't think that would end well with me dreaming like that and reading like this. Nothing good could come from me being horny around Edward. He was a beautiful sweet man, but I lived with him. If I messed things up, there would be no going back. I'd be screwed. God only knew where I'd go after that. I knew I couldn't go home.

It took me a moment to remember that I had that money in the trust. I could go somewhere else if I needed to. I just really didn't want to. I wanted to stay here. I didn't want to leave, or worse, be asked to leave by Edward because he was upset with me. I wasn't sure I could handle that.

His phone rang, breaking the silence. I watched his expression to see how he'd react. He smiled, so I figured it wasn't his family. I was worried that Jasper might be calling for something.

"Hey, Janey," he answered smiling, and my heart twisted in my chest. "Sure, I'll be by this afternoon. Thanks for calling." He hung up, and my eyes were stuck on him. He went back to working, but I was silently begging him for some sort of clue as to who this Janey person was, and why he would happily be by this afternoon.

"She's not a bother," he finally spoke, still not looking at me.

"What?"

"There'll be no bothering with Janey, like we promised." He finally looked at me, and I caught what he was saying. My look of relief must have been evident, because he gave me that big grin. "You gonna come to town to meet her? I've got to pick up my mail."

"I've been here nearly three months, and this is the first time you're picking up your mail?"

He shrugged, "I don't get a lot. Janey calls me when my box gets full. I need to stop by the fire station, too, to let them know I'm going to burn the trash. The pit is getting a bit full."

"Where is this pit? I've seen you walk out the door with the garbage, but I don't see where you dump it or smell it."

"About one hundred feet past the edge of our yard is the hole that was dug by the backhoe that cut the road. It's pretty big, and when you burn trash down, it breaks down really well. I only burn every few months, usually when I have to go get my mail."

"I'm guessing this is not a marshmallow roasting fire?"

"Not even close."

I wondered why he hadn't picked up his mail the other times we'd gone into town to buy seed. It became clear when he turned the opposite direction than we usually went. He had mentioned there was a small town in this direction, but we had yet to venture to it.

It looked like they only had one main drag that was on the highway. He pulled up to the little post office that looked more like a storage unit than a building. The walls on either side were lined with mailboxes, and there was a girl that sat behind a little counter with a couple of baskets of mail. She was too young and pretty for my liking. I really didn't want this to be Janey.

"Hey, Janey," Edward gave her that grin that was supposed to be mine. I didn't like it when he shared it with others, especially girls.

Janey did a double take, "Edward?"

"Yeah," he rubbed his chin, and I realized he'd probably had a beard the last time she had seen him.

"Wow, you have a face, and really nice looking one at that," she flirted. She was way too interested in him, leaning in toward him like she was going to touch his face. That was _not_ going to happen.

I stepped forward and grabbed his elbow, effectively blocking her. He looked at my hand, and then shot me a smile. "This is Bella, she's staying with me."

"Oh, is she one of your sisters?" she asked, sounding way too hopeful.

"Nope," he rocked on his heels, making me smile.

"Well, then, that's something." She sounded like the wind had been knocked out of her sails. I wanted to say, "That's right, bitch. Edward is mine." However, we were technically only friends, so I kept my mouth shut and hoped she assumed we were more.

Edward collected his mail and wished her a good day. I was glad to be out of there and contemplated buying him a mailbox to add to the rural mail route. I was sure I could find a cute one that would fit his personality.

Our next stop was the volunteer fire department. He walked right into the build and shouted, "Olly, olly, oxen free."

"Ed, my man, what's up?" a guy slid down the fireman's pole. "Holy cow, you have a face!" he shouted with a huge smile.

"Yeah, well, I thought it'd be cooler for the weather."

The guy spotted me standing behind Edward and nearly pushed him aside. "Can I help you, Miss?" he asked in a voice an octave lower than before.

I held back my snicker, "No, I'm here with Edward."

"Edward?" he glanced over at him, looking for some more information.

Edward stepped between me and the fireman dude. "Yeah, she's living with me. I just stopped in to let you know that I'll be burning trash on Saturday."

"Alright, maybe I'll come by to help make sure it goes smoothly."

Edward looked annoyed; it wasn't like he could tell the fireman he couldn't interfere with the fire.

"While you guys are doing that, I can do the spring cleaning and have the shower ready for you when you're done. There's no way I'm going near that trash burning mess. You should probably check in with your sister, too, before you spend the day out there. You don't want to be distracted. The last thing we need is you burning our house down."

I didn't want to upset Edward by making him think I might be interested in that douche bag, so I did my best to make references without saying anything at the same time. The guy now knew that I wasn't a sister, and hopefully he thought we were intimate by my mentioning cleaning the shower specifically for Edward. It would be something a significant other would do for their honey. It was something I usually did anyways, but I wanted it to sound like more, and I made sure this guy knew I wouldn't be around to chat up if he popped in. It was important to me that Edward knew I wouldn't "bother" with this guy, either.

Edward scooted closer to me. He didn't outright grab me like I'd grabbed him, but I wouldn't have minded if he had. I kind of wished he would have claimed me more. "Let's go to the café and get some pie. Matilda makes some awesome dishes."

If Edward wasn't going to claim me, then I was going to claim him. I grabbed his elbow again, giving him a big smile, "I'd love to."

He shot fire jerk a cheeky smile as we headed out the door, looking for pie. "I'm not sure I can make it this weekend. I'll drop you a line if I can," fire dork hollered after us, and we both seemed to relax a little.

Edward and I weren't something, but we definitely weren't nothing anymore. I just wished we were a little closer to something rather than nothing. I ignored the tightening of my chest. I knew it wasn't a good idea to want him, and so I did my best to push down those feeling. There was no way I'd push him and make him feel uncomfortable in his own house, not to mention my worry from before. I really didn't want him to ask me to leave. I had to do my best to keep myself from turning into a gooey-eyed girl who was obviously pining for him. He seemed more amused by my antics today than anything. I just hoped he didn't hold my actions against me.


	18. Chapter 18

**Dollybigmomma, is my nighttime beta lover. I'm telling you, girl, just kick that husband out of the bed so you can sleep.**

**Chapter 18 – Things that Go Bump…**

While we were in town, Edward grabbed a carton of Rocky Road ice cream to eat after dinner that evening. I'd have been lying to say I wasn't excited about it. I loved ice cream way too much, and he found my speed in which I made and served dinner amusing.

"So, you pretty much took the day off work. How do you do that? Do you report to someone or something?" I asked curious.

"No, I work on a contract basis. As long as I get my work done by the deadline, I'm good."

"Oh, that's nice. I don't think I could do that. I'd end up goofing off, I think. I usually am good about projects, but nothing more than a month, and I tend to overdo it." I glanced down at my arms. The scars were the result of my overdoing it. If I hadn't done so much research, I would've had fewer pictures, and I most likely would've finished the project early. I should've done less and insisted on using a regular poster board.

I felt his knee bump mine, "You alright?"

"Yeah, fine, sorry, I lost myself for a minute there."

"So, I was thinking..." he started and gave me silly grin.

"Don't think too hard, you'll hurt yourself," I teased.

"We need to have dessert outside. It makes perfect sense to eat the ice cream by the fire tonight."

I looked at him confused. "It does?"

"Yeah, because it's like s'mores in ice-cream form. You have the chocolate and the marshmallows, but instead of graham crackers, you have nuts, which are better for ice cream, because it'd get soggy otherwise."

I laughed because in some twisted way, it made sense. "We could eat it with graham crackers instead of candy bars."

"Genius!" he shouted jumping up.

He started pulling out the stuff to dish out the bowls, and I decided to go out and start the fire. There was some firewood stacked on the back porch next to the door, along with a bucket of kindling. I was making a fire when I heard something moving in the forest.

I'd never been afraid to be out here in the dark before, but it gave me an unsettling feeling. I darted into the house, slamming into Edward. He had two bowls in his hands and held them out of the way. I wrapped my arms around him, hiding my face in his chest.

"Hey, girl, what's, ah, going on?" he sounded a little nervous, but set the bowls down and wrapped his arms around me.

"There's something out there."

He glanced out the back door window. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, no, I don't know. I was starting the fire, when I heard something in the forest, and then it felt like something or someone was watching me."

He rubbed my back and told me to stay inside. I was worried that he was going to call me crazy, but instead, he grabbed a gun and a battery-powered spotlight.

He pulled out a shotgun instead of his rifle. I hadn't seen this gun before. I really needed to take the time to see what else he had stashed in that hidden compartment in the couch.

He asked me to point out where I'd heard the noise, and I did. He shined the light there as he stepped out onto the porch and cocked his shotgun with one hand. I'd swear it was just like in the movies. I watched from the door with baited breath. This felt like a scene out of a horror movie. I made plans to snatch up the rifle if I had to.

He walked right into the woods, and it really was freaking me out. I saw his floodlight scan the forest around the area, flashing all sorts of eyes up in the trees. I knew that wasn't it, though. I knew there was a mess of raccoons, possums, and all sorts of other creatures out there, but they never gave me the creeps like this one.

I saw the light tip down, and I freaked out. I opened the door and shouted for Edward, worried something had taken him by surprise. "Edward!"

"Yeah," he sounded casual and not in pain.

"You scared me. The light tipped down, and I thought something…"

"I'm okay, Bella, I was just looking for tracks, so I could get an idea of what to look for."

"And?"

"I see some, but they're nothing to worry about, probably just a stray dog." His voice sounded strained, and I didn't think I believed him. "Why don't we eat inside, just to be safe?"

When he backed toward the house instead of turning around, I knew something was up. He told me to grab the bowls of ice cream, and I did, following him to the couch. He put the gun away, but still looked worried. "We should eat in the kitchen. Maybe set up the chess board on the table." I could tell he was trying to relax me, but something was up.

I knew he was trying to be discreet, but I caught it when he flicked the lock on the back door. He'd never locked it before, and it was really starting to scare me.

He set the graham crackers on the table, and then he passed me the chess set. "You set this up. I need to log off from my computer."

I heard the distinctive click of another lock and knew he'd locked the front door as well. He typed something out on his keyboard and then came over smiling, like everything was perfectly fine. I wanted to call him out on it, but I was scared at what the answer he'd give might be.

After our chess game, he started a fire to "keep the place warm" and settled down on the couch to "watch it." I didn't buy that for a second. He insisted I go to bed, so I lay there and pretended I was asleep.

I was just about to doze off, when I heard Edward start to talk. I thought he was talking to me for a minute, but I realized rather quickly he was on the phone. "It's me. Someone came out here tonight and scared the crap out of Bella. She didn't see who it was, but there were definite tracks of a human, most likely male by the size of the print."

I heard him get up, and I listened to him pace. He let out a deep breath. "Just our family, I don't want anyone else, and it'll be under the guise of a friendly visit. They can check the trails during the day. The brush is pretty dense out here, so whoever they are will have had to clear a spot to camp out if they're still on the property….no, we would've heard someone if they'd come up our driveway. The gravel makes it obvious. If they bring Santino's Pinto, I could probably hide it in the shed…no, we'll do it when she's in the shower. Hopefully, she won't notice their car went missing."

The next morning after breakfast, we heard a car come up the driveway. Edward met the car out on the front porch with his rifle, like he had any other time someone had visited.

The two men, who looked very much like the other Masen men I'd seen, nodded their heads at Edward in a standard man greeting, and he opened the door, inviting them in.

"You must be Isabella," the shorter one said as he shook my hand. "I'm Luke, and this is my brother, Tino. Ann Marie was saying that you and Edward had been sprucing things up out here. We thought we'd come take a look."

"You cool if we take a look around?" Tino spoke like he'd never met an English teacher.

"Yeah, Bella, are you going to get dressed? I'm sure they'd like you to show them around the trails," Edward nodded.

The three guys all looked shiftily at each other. I knew it'd be best if I played along. "Sure, let me catch a quick shower."

I didn't take long. I suspected they would be moving their car like Edward had suggested. I dressed comfortably for the warm weather. My arms were uncovered and showing my scars, though, and I thought about putting on a hoodie, solely to keep them hidden.

When I stepped out of the bedroom, Edward, Luke and Tino were coming in the back door. Edward looked at my hoodie and frowned. "It's gonna be too hot to wear that today. Make sure you take some water with you, guys. Bella, can you show them where the backpack is?"

I hesitated in taking off my hoodie. I didn't know why I was suddenly so self-conscience about my scars. Maybe it was because these people knew how I'd gotten them and why I was here. It wasn't something I wanted to talk about.

I grabbed the backpack and pulled out three of the four canteens Edward had. I filled them up and packed the backpack with the water and a few pieces of fruit. My insecurities were playing off each other…between my scars, the guy in the woods, and new people in the house, I was on the verge of losing it.

I set the backpack down and walked over to Edward, who was in the study. I tapped his shoulder, and the look on my face must have given everything away. He stood up and took me into his arms, letting me hug him tightly, and then he kissed the top of my head. "You're going to be fine. Tino and Luke are good guys. Out of all my brothers, they're my favorite," he whispered in my ear. I took a deep breath, feeling a lot better after a hug from Edward.

I stepped back and took off my hoodie, draping it over the back of the couch. Tino glanced at my arms. Luke noticed and punched his shoulder. I went to grab the backpack, but Tino waved me off. "I got it."

As we stepped out onto the back porch, Luke started talking. "This place looks like a person lives here. The pond added a nice touch. Why don't you show me the new trail?"

Instead of walking to the trailhead like they expected, I led them over to the area Edward had searched last night. "The noise came from over here. I suggest we start here if we're going to try and follow a trail."

The guys looked at each other and then back to me. "Are you okay with this?"

"You have guns with you, right?"

"Yeah, were both packing."

I nodded at them, "Good, we should be fine then, let's go."

It was easier for me to maneuver into the bushes, because I was thinner. "Whoever was here last night used the thin deer trails as their pathway." I was able to get closer to the ground with my narrow body and spot the tracks in the soft dirt.

We walked quietly for a ways when Tino broke the silence. "So, you and Edward, what are you two, anyways?"

"Friends, roommates, chess opponents, project assistants, we're a lot of things, we keep busy."

"So you're not, you know, bumping uglies?"

Luke smacked the back of Tino's head, "Why you talking like that to her? You know Ann Marie said she's off limits."

"To us, not to Edward, I was just wondering if he'd made his move yet." Tino seemed a bit slow on the uptake.

Luke gave him another smack on the head, "Shut up!"

"No, he hasn't made his move yet." I think I surprised them both when I answered him.

"Haven't you been out here, like forever? Oh, shit, I was right. That little bastard's gay. You remember how he'd hang out with that little fucker, Jasper. That nasty was always eyeing me and Tino both."

"That's because he's bisexual," I cut in.

"Edward's bisexual?" Tino freaked out.

"No, Jasper. Edward's not bisexual or gay."

"And you're sure about this how?" Luke pushed this time. He had too big of a grin on his face.

"We bumped into each other coming out of the shower. He really likes boobs."

"Oh!" they both shouted and started laughing. A bunch of birds flew out of the trees around us, reminding us to be quiet.

After another ten minutes of tracking, the trail opened up to one that had been recently cleared.

"You and Edward didn't do this?" Luke asked.

I looked around, but I didn't recognize anything. We were standing at the obvious end of a trail, and we were not at the cabin, spring, valley, or grove, so no, we hadn't cleared this one. "This isn't one of ours. I'm sure of it."

They nodded, and Luke had me stand between him and Tino as they moved forward quietly.

I finally recognized where we were when the grove came into view. Off to the side, behind some thick trees and fallen logs, someone had set up a campsite.

"Stay here," Luke whispered to me and nodded to Tino to follow him.

They flanked either side of the logged hideout, and then shouted in surprise when they found someone they apparently knew. Tino shouted, "Gino, Mikey, what the hell are you two doing out here?"

"Boss told us to hide out here and nip some little girl from his brother-in-law."

"No, you kidding me?" Tino sounded shocked.

"Yeah, he said Junior wanted a crack at her. Figured if we could catch her and he could knock her up, she'd be more agreeable. I don't see how that'd work, though. My old lady's a bitch when she's pregnant. There's nothing agreeable about her then."

I knew right then I was screwed. Tino and Luke worked for the Volturi, and if the Volturi wanted me for Marcus, there was no way I could get away and back to Edward. It just wasn't physically possible to fight off four grown men with guns. Yup, I was definitely screwed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Here you go, I didn't make you wait long and Dollybigmomma got it back to me as fast as she could. She's my awesome beta lover.**

**Chapter 19 – A Bird in the Bush**

I slowly started to back up on the path. I didn't think I could outrun them, but I believed that once we got into the brush, it would slow them down. I hoped I could push through it fast enough to get to the house and get the guns, before they had a chance to grab me. I knew Edward would stop them from taking me.

I heard a gun cock and saw Edward standing on the far side of the grove, where our path was cut. "Where's Bella?"

The other men raised their guns, and I freaked out. I dove into the brush. I hoped that if Tino, Luke, and Edward thought I'd run off, then Edward would leave, too. I didn't think Tino and Luke would hurt him, but I didn't know about the other two guys.

"Call off the shithead," Gino ordered someone.

"Can you blame him?" Luke asked. "You're coming after his girl."

"Hey, man, it's all a misunderstanding," Mikey cut in.

"Edward, put your gun down," Luke tried to coax.

"No."

"You need to get him to drop his gun or I'm dropping him."

"No, you're not, so cool it. You know he's fucked in the head."

"No, I don't, and it don't matter, anyway. The fucker needs to take his gun off me!"

"You really think the Boss would be cool with you killing his wife's brother?"

"Why would…?"

Luke cut him off. "He was kidnapped by the Westside fuckers and held as leverage. Why in hell do you think he went nuts and lives way the fuck out in nowheresville? He means enough to my sister and brother-in-law that he's a target, you feel me? You kill him, and you're as good as dead, so drop the gun and pray to Jesus that he's not having a bad day."

"Man, this is fucked up."

"You work for the mob; your life is fucked up, so get over it," Luke griped.

"I'm calling Ann Marie to let her know what's going down," Tino cut in.

Everyone was quiet as he made the call. "Hey, Ann Marie, it wasn't the fuckers from the Westside or the FBI, it was your husband's boys. He sent them out to nab the girl for your son."

Even from a distance, I could hear several expletives being screamed on her end. I peeked over the brush and saw Tino holding the phone away from his ear. "I think you should wait before you make your next move," he warned the other guys. I ducked back down, hoping no one saw me.

"But the…" Gino started.

"I don't care who you work for, I'll kill you if you come after my brother or his girl. You're lucky I recognized your fucked-up hair; because I was gonna put a bullet in your back. There was no way in hell I'd have given you a chance to even think of reaching for your gun, and you know it."

"The Boss…"

"The Boss ain't shit compared to family. I'll drop you cold."

"You'd get shit for…"

"They wouldn't find your body. You know Tino's the best cleaner around. It's not our fault you got lost in the woods. This shit is thick."

"Fuck you, man," Gino started, and then there was a gunshot and then another. I prayed to God that Edward, Luke and Tino were alright. I didn't want to get kidnapped by these assholes. If I did, I'd offer to blow Marcus, and then bit off his dick before he had a chance to get it anywhere near me. I was going to kill the bastard, if his mother didn't do it first.

I heard men screaming, but I couldn't tell who it was. I had to get a better look, but I didn't want to give away my position. I crawled through the brush a little closer to the groves' edge.

"Shut the fuck up!" Luke shouted. "You're lucky he shot you in the hand and not the chest. You know I'd have gone for a kill shot."

A phone started ringing, and Luke answered it. "Nah, that's your boys crying like little girls. You're lucky Edward shot them and not me."

I literally snaked on the ground and poked my head through the brush at the groves' edge. I was low enough to stay hidden by the grass, so no one would see me.

The two goons were holding their hands crying, and Edward still had his gun trained on them. Tino and Luke looked the picture of ease. "Will do, and don't worry, I'll pick up their slack." Luke hung up the phone and smiled at the crying men. "Edward, get your girl out of the grass and take her home. Marcus wants us to clean up here. He doesn't like people knowing where you live."

I heard shouting and scrambling. Two more shots were fired, but the men were still running around. Edward had shot them in their other hands. Luke hadn't taken his eyes off the men, but pointed right at me. "She's right there, sneaky little thing. We got you covered," he chuckled and cocked his gun. I had a feeling that those men wouldn't be making it out of here alive.

Edward was walking in my general direction, looking for me. It wasn't until I started to get up that he could tell where I was and came running. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight. He rushed me to our path, and we nearly ran back to the house. He pulled me inside, locking the doors.

He yanked me tightly into his arms, squeezing the crap out of me. I felt my shirt getting wet, and the weight of the whole event settled down on my shoulders. I burst into tears, squeezing him back.

I felt him kiss my head, and he finally set his gun on the kitchen table. He tugged me toward the couch and let me curl up on his lap. "How could you send me off with those goons? They could've killed me. What if they didn't take your side?"

He held me tighter against him. "You were safer with them than you were with me. I trust my brothers. They'd never betray me or Ann Marie. Two guys with guns are better than one, especially since whoever it was knew where the house was. You would've been a sitting duck if it'd been who we thought it was." He grimaced and hid his face in my neck. "No, Luke and Tino are better than ten men watching you. I'd never trust you to anyone else."

I remembered that they'd referred to someone as the Westside. Luke also said that Edward had been taken before. His living out in the middle of nowhere made more sense now. What computer geek worth his salt would live in an area with no high-speed internet? I thought him using his phone for internet service had to have been a joke, but it wasn't. He was completely off the grid out here.

"Why the hell didn't we all stay at the house?"

"Because I asked them to go," Edward sighed.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because if they were coming for me, I didn't want you in the crossfire, or for them to take you, too. Luke and Tino kept you safe, while I waited to see if someone was going to make a grab for me."

"What the hell, Edward? Why in hell would you do that? How can you possibly think that was okay?"

"I would've been fine." He didn't sound anywhere near convincing. "I would've held them off until Tino and Luke got here. You would've been safe, hiding in the woods." He cupped my cheek, "Everything would've been fine."

"Bullshit. You don't pull shit like that again." I shoved off his lap. "I swear to god, Edward, if you even think about putting yourself in danger like that again, I'll shoot you myself."

I stormed off into the bedroom, slamming the door. I had to pull myself together. It took a moment for me to notice I was covered in dirt and forest debris from my crawling around. A hot shower sounded good right now.

I rinsed the initial dirt off, hissing in pain. I hadn't realized the brush had cut me up so much. Walking through it with the guys hadn't been bad, it was me diving in it and crawling through it that had torn me up. It was just one more reason for me to be pissed.

I patted myself dry, still tender, and put on a tank top and my pajama shorts. I dug around under Edward's sink and found his first-aid kit.

I was cursing as I disinfected my scrapes, which caught Edward's attention. He knocked on the bedroom door, "Bella, are you okay?"

"No, you bastard, I'm not okay!"

"Do you mind if I come in?"

I thought about telling him to fuck off, but I really didn't want him to leave me alone right now. "Fine."

He came in and took in the scene before him. "Are you okay? Do you need some help with that?"

"Fuck you," I snapped. I was in a really bitchy mood right now and in pain.

"You didn't need to hide in the brush like that."

"A lot of good it did me. Your brother knew right where I was."

"Hey, don't feel bad. You were really well hidden. Luke is what Marcus calls a 'problem solver.' No one can hide from him. I knew he'd be able to keep an eye on you. Hide and seek with him always sucked."

He looked so serious when he said that, I burst out laughing. "I bet it did."

"Yeah, I used to think I was so well hidden, and then he'd just walk over and pluck me up out of my spot. I suppose it was for the best, since it was his job to keep an eye on me for a while after…"

"After you were taken?" He frowned and got off the bed. I grabbed his hand. "Edward, you can..."

"No, I'm not talking about it. I'm safe here. It's not an issue, so just drop it."

I heard him go out the back door and settle on the swing. I knew I needed to give him some time to cool down, and I had to get my cuts treated.

When I came out of the room, he made no move to come in and talk to me. I decided to start lunch and wondered if Tino and Luke would be coming back. I figured I'd make enough for them, just in case.

I heard someone clomp up on the porch, and the swing creaked as they settled down next to Edward. "You didn't have to…I'm sure there was another way to…" Edward started.

"Edward, you shot them. You pissed them off, and they knew where you lived. They were bad men. They may have worked for Marcus, but they wouldn't have thought twice about selling you out to the Westside. There was a reason they were chosen for this job. Marcus had them marked for retirement, anyways. He never planned on them…"

"Don't, I get it," Edward cut him off.

"Come on, Ed, you and your girl are safe. That's what counts, right?"

"You know I don't like to get involved."

"And you're not! You're nowhere near involved. Hell, I don't think most people even know you exist."

"That's…"

"No one made it out of that building, Edward. I personally made sure of that. You're safe, and so is your girl," Luke tried to reassure him. "Leave Ann Marie to handle Marcus and Junior, I don't doubt she'll be out here making a fuss over you as soon as that's taken care of."

"Oh, my little grumpy pants," Tino teased imitating his sister.

"Shut up," I heard Edward say, but it sounded like he was smiling.

Lunch was ready, so I decided to call them in. "Food's ready," I called out the back door.

"Food, thank you, Jesus," Tino, cheered causing us to laugh.

I had set the table, but it was so small, we pretty much ate elbow to elbow, especially since Tino and Luke were pretty big guys. I was squished between Luke and Edward. I didn't think I would've been able to move if I was squished between Tino and Luke.

We all dug into our sandwiches, and Tino was moaning like he was having sex. "Damn, this is so good. Ed, if you don't marry her, I will. Let me get you my number, so you can call me."

Luke smacked the back of Tino's head, and Edward glared.

"What? Tell me this isn't the best sandwich you ever had. You want to fuck her happy for another one, right?"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Luke shouted.

Edward was focused on the table, but his face was red, like he was trying to control his temper. I reached over, covering his tight fist with my hand and kissed his shoulder, before I spoke to Tino. "That's quite a compliment. Maybe I should open a sandwich shop when this is all over."

"Hell yeah, you call me…"

"I don't have a phone," I squeezed Edward's hand, "And I don't plan on getting one anytime soon."

"Right, right, on the down-low. I'm sure Victor nabbed your phone before you were brought out here."

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Luke growled.

"Fine, but I better hear about it if she opens a sandwich shop, this fucker's good."

I turned my face into Edward's shoulder to hide my snickering. He looked up at me confused, and I bumped his shoulder. "Come on, that was funny."

"He was serious," he whispered back to me.

"I know, right?" I giggled harder.

He finally cracked a smile, "You're a goof."

"Yes, but I make one hell of a sandwich, so you better keep me around."

"Don't worry, I will."

When I looked back across the table, Luke and Tino had big goofy grins on their faces, and they nodded at Edward. I hoped it was to encourage him to make a move. Only time would tell.


	20. Chapter 20

**Dollybigmomma loves me and puts up with my bad writing. I love her and her beta skills.**

**Chapter 20 – Mama Bear**

Just like Luke and Tino had predicted, Ann Marie was out to visit a few days later. We had heard the gravel crunch on the driveway, and Edward had his gun out and trained on her car. She didn't even flinch when she got out. Edward tipped his gun up in the air away from her, but his eyes didn't come off that car.

"Nobody's with me, baby. There's no way in hell I'd let anybody come with me," she growled more to herself. She pulled me straight into her arms, squeezing me tightly. I didn't know why, but I started to cry. "Oh, sweetie, don't you worry. I took care of those bad men." She pulled me over to the couch and sat next to me. She cupped my face, wiping my tears with her thumbs; I had gotten my tears mostly under control.

"I doubt you were able to give them what they deserved," Edward griped.

"Hey, Mr. Grumpy Pants, when have I ever let you down?"

"Never, but I..." Edward started, but Ann Marie cut him off.

"They had to see Joey when I was done with them, and I won't be needing birth control anymore."

Now I was curious. "What did…?"

"It's best you not ask questions," she patted my knee.

"It was Junior's plan. He's the one that really deserved to be..." Edward growled.

"Like I said, they both had to see Joey, and Vanessa will have to be the one to prove we're good Catholics, because I'm likely only getting the one grandkid from Marky's side. His girl will need a goomah after what I did. I can't believe that little bastard..." she shook her head, "I swear, honey, I didn't raise my boy to think that was okay. That's something we don't tolerate. I can't believe…" She hugged me again, but I think it was more for her than for me. "They may pull that shit at work, but not…oh, god, I swear I would've killed them. They wouldn't have gotten off with just walking funny."

Edward walked over and pulled Ann Marie into his arms, hugging her tightly. She was crying, and I didn't expect that from her. She was more of a fire-and-revenge kind of girl. These tears had me worried for her.

Edward whispered something in her ear.

"No, I'll be fine. He knows why I reacted that way. He didn't realize…no, believe it or not, he apologized after he was stitched up. He hadn't made the connection, didn't understand…not until Joey pointed it out. He sees it was wrong. He and Marky won't be coming anywhere near her, or they won't have a dick to piss with if they do, and they know it. I don't make empty threats."

There was no way in hell I'd ever cross Ann Marie.

"Let's talk of happier things. Luke and Tino love you, like I knew they would." She reached out and took my hand then smirked at Edward, who blushed in his adorable way. "They agree with me, that you're good for my little grumpy pants."

Edward tipped his head back and snickered at the name she called him.

"Why do you call him Mr. Grumpy Pants?"

"He had a tough go of it as a kid. I had to keep him. He didn't always like it. He missed my mother, but she was a very busy woman, so he was my little buddy," she patted Edward's cheek. "He's the reason I got knocked up so quickly. He was such a good kid. I wanted to have one of my own. Little Eddie wasn't any trouble, but he knew how to pout. That little lip with those green eyes, he could talk a mouse out of his bread crumbs with that look. Needless to say, I spoiled him rotten. He was my little boy, had been for a while. I don't know if you know this, but there are twelve kids in my family. I'm the oldest and he's the youngest. My mother had her hands full, and so little Edward and I were matched up, so she could do other mom things. I was seventeen and he was an adorable newborn. I swear he was such a good baby. You'd be lucky to have kids that take after him," she winked at me.

I had to admit, I wasn't much for being a mother, but I knew I wouldn't mind it so much if Edward was the dad. By the smirk on her face and the blush on Edward's, they both knew what I was thinking.

"Once I was married, I still kept my little Edward around all the time to make it easier on my mom. It was fun to play house with my husband. Edward was only three when we were married, and he stayed with us on and off until he was out of college. We kept him around because…"

"That's enough of that story." Edward stood up stiffly and walked to the kitchen. "It's been a long drive. Let me get you a drink."

Ann Marie frowned. "Sure, baby, do you have any lemonade?"

"Yes, we do!" I said cheerily. "I made it with real lemons and all."

"Is it any good?" She gave Edward a leveling stare and he laughed.

"She knows to put sugar in it. It's safe to drink."

"Hey!" I was ready to complain.

"Just because you can make a 'damn good, meet Jesus' sandwich doesn't mean you can make lemonade. Edward was always helping Nessie with her lemonade stands. If it wasn't for my husband's business associates, none of it would've sold. Of course, because my husband was who he was, every nasty drop was sold and sucked down through puckered, forced smiles."

"The fact that they were paying twenty bucks a glass didn't hurt, either. Nessie and I split the money and it ended up paying for my bachelor's degree." I was glad to see Edward perking up a bit.

"Speaking of sandwiches, I should make us some lunch," I offered.

"I'd loved to have one of your famous sandwiches."

"There really isn't anything fancy about them." I really didn't do anything to them.

"Oh, we bought that new pastrami and cheese from the deli case, and you used that fancy mayonnaise," Edward guessed.

"We still have some. We'll finish it off today. Will you be staying the night, Mrs. Volturi?" I asked, because it was going on one o'clock in the afternoon. If she left after lunch, she'd hit rush hour once she got into town, and if she stayed to miss it, it'd be really late.

"If that's okay with you," she looked over at Edward.

He pulled her into a hug, "You're always welcome to stay. You can have my bed, I'll take the couch."

"No, I couldn't…" A smirk grew on her face. "You know, why don't you two take your bed, and I'll sleep on Bella's bed."

Edward chuckled, "Nice try, but I'm taking the couch, and you're taking the bed. If you want to sleep with Bella, you'll have to take it up with her."

I tried not to let his absolute refusal to share a bed with me bug me, but I didn't think it worked. I focused on my sandwich making efforts. I felt Ann Marie come up behind me. "Would you like the 'fancy' mayonnaise on your sandwich, Mrs. Volturi?"

"Call me Ann, sweetie, and yes, I've gotta taste the fancy mayo." I felt her hand squeeze my shoulder. I looked up to see where Edward was, because it was suddenly quiet. "He went to change the bedding. Bella, don't let him discourage you. He's always been very shy about those things. He's a good boy, a good Catholic boy, like you're a good Catholic girl. He takes things very seriously. Just because he's moving slow and not making the moves you'd expect, it doesn't mean he's not interested. I promise you, honey, he really is."

"I don't know…"

"I'm not the only one who sees it. Tino and Luke gushed about how perfect you were together."

It was my turn to blush, "I'm not…"

"Sweetie, I saw how your face fell when he said no so adamantly. I see how you watch him. You don't notice it, because he's sneaky about it, but he's watching you, too. He hasn't complained once about you being here, and he's so happy. He's smiling. I've waited a long time to see that happy smile come back to his face. He's a good boy, but he's very careful with everything in his life."

I could see what she was saying. I saw some of what she said in our everyday life. I loved Edward's smile and his laugh. I loved how we were…fun, goofy and ourselves. We didn't hide ourselves or try and be something we weren't. We were just Edward and Bella. We were best friends, and we were at the best friends' stage where we didn't bother with others. That had to be something.

"I take it by your silence that you know what I'm talking about," she pushed, curious.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I do, and slow seems to be working for us."

She kissed the top of my head and squeezed my shoulders. "Thank you."

I didn't know what she was thanking me for, but I kind of felt like thanking her. "Thanks for sending me out here."

"What are you girls chatting about?" Edward sounded happy.

"Oh, we were just talking about this cute boy I know Bella likes," Ann Marie teased.

"She does?" The hurt in his voice was clear.

I bumped her with my elbow, "She's pulling your leg, Edward. You know we don't bother."

"Bother?" Ann Marie asked, looking between us, but neither of us answered.

"We were talking about us," I ignored the unanswered question.

"Yeah?" he didn't sound all that convinced.

It was time for the big guns. I was really going to lay myself out there. I hoped everyone was right, and I didn't get my heart ripped out. "It hurt my feelings when you said you wouldn't share a bed with me. She said not to worry, that you'd want to take things slow. That we should take things slow," I added, hoping he knew I was okay with slow.

"Oh." He looked at the ground, and then he shuffled forward nervously. He took a deep breath and then leaned in. I thought he was going to whisper something in my ear, but he kissed my cheek fast, and then pulled back quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

That little kiss on my cheek had my insides flipping with excitement. He was so damn sweet. "It's fine, thank you. I like how we are, we don't have to…to…I like us," I finally settled, and he eventually made eye contact. I knew I was grinning like an idiot, and my face was so hot it could have started a forest fire, but his answering smile was worth it. I doubted anyone in history had ever gotten as excited as I was over a little kiss on the cheek.

There was a flash, and we both turned to see Ann Marie had taken a picture of us. "You two are just adorable. Now, Edward, honey, can you help me get my bag out of the car?"

I finished up the sandwiches and set the table while she got settled in. It was weird getting to know Ann Marie as Edward's sister and not Marcus's mother. She was the same, but different. She babied Edward, like he was her own, but there was a much higher level of respect and trust between them. I had to admit I was a little jealous of their connection. Edward seemed so much more at ease, and they talked about silly stuff that happened when he was growing up…water fights, Christmas pageants, haircuts gone wrong, Mass mishaps (that weren't uncommon in their family), and my favorite, stupid things their brothers did. They had story after story of jumping off a building to fly, bike tricks gone wrong, trying to bridge the gap over the creek in their vehicles, attempting to play tricks on the neighbor's cat, only to have the cat get the better of them, multiple times (Frisky was a wicked smart cat).

The stories continued past dinner and went on as we ate s'mores around the fire. It was finally time for bed, and Edward left to shower.

Ann Marie pulled out a stack of papers from her oversized purse. "I have your college applications. I was able to get them and saw some were out of date, so I got you the new ones for the next fall semester. I also took the liberty of adding a couple of other colleges for you to consider."

I took the stack of papers from her. My chest tightened as I looked down at my old home address scrawled across the top of one of them. "Did they ask about me?"

"So, I brought out some summer wear for you, now that it's warming up." Her deflection gave me my answer.

I wrapped my arms around my applications, as if hugging them would somehow give me back my crappy parents. I could hear Ann Marie talking, but I couldn't focus on the words. I couldn't comprehend anything that was being said. I walked into the study and got my bed ready. I hadn't even realized I was crying until Ann Marie pulled me into her arms.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me today," I tried to excuse my tears.

"Baby, it's okay to cry about your parents. They may come around. They just need time."

I felt stupid for wanting them to miss me. I wondered who was buying my mother's liquor now. Did she even notice I was gone? Did either of them notice? I had spent the last several years trying to be invisible. I guess it worked. I was gone and they didn't miss me. It was like I had never even been there.


	21. Chapter 21

**Dollybigmomma, is an awesome beta and momma, Happy mothers day lady.**

**Chapter 21 – Paving, Pains, and Poop**

The next morning, I woke up to fingertips in my hair. "It's morning, are you going to wake up and join us for breakfast?" I opened my eyes to see a pair of happy green ones looking back at me. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Ann Marie has breakfast about finished."

"Edward, let her sleep," I heard her hiss from the kitchen.

Edward moved back so I could sit up. "No, it's fine. I don't like to eat breakfast alone. Thanks for waking me."

Edward wore a huge grin, "Any time." He headed for the table and then stuck out his tongue, "See, told you. I know my girl."

Just like that, he swept yesterday's crap away, and my day was perfect. Edward called me his girl. It didn't get past Ann Marie, either. She had a grin the size of Texas on her face. "Yes, Edward, you do know your girl."

After breakfast, Edward helped bring a couple more things out of the trunk of Ann Marie's car. She had brought out my summer wardrobe, and it was thankfully more conservative than what I'd imagine her sisters, Teresa and Dora, would have brought.

She left before lunch, and Edward settled back into his study to work. I tried to head out to the swing, but I shivered a little, thinking about being outside by myself. I decided to take up residence on the couch again instead.

Edward got up to take a bathroom break and noticed me on the couch. "Everything alright?"

I shrugged.

He frowned, but hit the bathroom without saying anything else. He grabbed himself an apple and was headed back past me, but paused. "Are you sure you're alright? You're usually on the swing. Has it been too hot?"

"No," I looked away when I said it.

He pushed my feet aside and sat next to me. "You've been staying inside the past couple of days. The weather has been nice out. Do you want to tell me what's going on?" I didn't answer. "Bella, if anyone could understand, it'd be me."

"I don't like being out there by myself." I peeked up at him, wondering if he'd laugh at me. I should've known better.

He pulled me into his arms and gave me a tight hug. "You'll get the hang of it. How about you start with the doors being open? I'm right here. You trust me, right?"

"Yes."

"You know I'd never let anyone hurt you or put you in danger, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, doors open, it'll let the air blow through the house, too." He got up and opened both doors, flashing me a smile, before he went back to work.

I read until dinnertime. I didn't disturb him to cook. He'd taken so much time off lately. I made dinner myself and then called him to come eat.

He shut the doors before he sat at the table. "The bugs come out in force this time of day, though they aren't as bad here as they are in other parts of the forest. The birds keep them under control, especially now that they have houses and live in the yard. Maybe we should get some more."

I perked up. There were some cute ones I wanted to get my hands on. "Yeah, that'd be fun."

When we were walking around the store that weekend, I noticed the patio furniture. The weather was nice, and I thought it'd be cool to have a set to eat breakfast and lunch at.

I was feeling cooped up and thought if I could get Edward to sit outside with me for a while, it wouldn't be so bad. I needed to pull myself together and get over it. The fact that men had been watching me, ready to kidnap me, had freaked me out. I knew those men were dead, and Ann Marie swore she had taken care of things for good, but it still gave me the creeps to go outside. I needed to feel comfortable with being alone outside again if I was going to keep my sanity at Edward's tiny place.

I noticed that a nice patio set ran a few thousand dollars. Edward, saw me looking at the sets and was about to say something. "I want to get it," I cut him off before he offered.

The set was pretty, and there was a chaise lounge perfect for napping on, with other furniture that matched it. Edward said his family complained about feeling cramped when they visited, and I wondered if they would come out more often if we had this set. The table was larger and seated six. We really needed one that size if we were going to entertain.

He was looking at his phone while I calculated the cost in my head. I finally gave in when I realized I'd have to figure in taxes. "Can I use your phone?"

"Sure, I was just transferring the money so I could get it."

"No, I want to get it. I have money from my trust. You buy everything else. I want to get this."

"Bella…"

"Please, Edward. Let me do this."

He finally gave in after I begged my head off. I told him he could consider it a birthday present. His birthday was only two weeks away. He said it was too much, but I said it wasn't, because I'd get to use it, too. "It's like I'm buy something for myself and saying it's your present. You should feel gypped."

He laughed, but didn't fight me anymore. I was downright giddy and skipped over to the patio furniture workers and told them what I wanted. Edward was shocked by the amount of stuff I was getting. He thought I just wanted a table, and here I was getting a whole living room-like set with a gazebo thing to cover it. It had mosquito nets that zipped up around it, too. It was awesome.

"Well, we're going to need paving stones."

"Paving stones?"

"Yup, to put this stuff on." He smirked at me and shook his head as he walked off, not telling me what he was thinking. I wondered if he was upset, but when I found him by the brick and "paving stones," he was grinning at the working and flashed me his sweet smirk. He turned back to the guy and pointed out where his truck was.

When it came time to pay, I saw him going for his wallet, but I whipped out my new bank card and swiped it before he had a chance. He shook his head at me, but I knew he'd come around once we got home.

"You know, Bella, this was too much. You should let me pay you back," he said as we unloaded the truck.

"Really, Edward, when will you believe I'm doing this for myself? Now get back to work," I snapped a pretend whip. "Move it, slave, your very time-consuming, back-breaking, supposed present is waiting for you."

"Well, when you put it that way…"

Turned out, there was a lot more to laying out paving stones than I thought. I was pretty sure I was crippled, when I stumbled in and flopped on the couch. "You go shower first. I think it's gonna be a while before I can move."

"That's what you get for buying me an expensive birthday present. You should've gotten me a bird feeder or a doormat for the raccoons to steal," he laughed.

"Raccoons steal doormats?"

"Yup, why else wouldn't I have one?" he said like it was obvious and headed for the bathroom.

I closed my eyes, ready to nap, when I felt something hit my foot. I jumped a little and moaned in pain.

"Hey, I thought you might like some painkillers," Edward handed me a bottle of medicine and a glass of water.

I took the pills and fell asleep fast. I woke up the next morning in my bed, tucked in and feeling a bit better. I blushed, thinking about how Edward must have moved me. I was a little sad that I'd missed being carried by him.

Since that little kiss on the cheek, he hadn't made a move. He smiled a lot and had me blushing more. He didn't necessarily have to say anything, but I could see something in his eyes, and I liked it. It was silly, though. He hadn't really changed his behavior, and I wondered if he'd liked me from the get-go. He still did simple things for me as naturally as breathing.

He took care of me out of instinct, which made him all the more wonderful. He'd take hold of my elbow anytime we'd crossed a log or wobbly rock. He always brought me a drink. I'd never had to ask for one and rarely had to get one myself. Of course, if I did, I'd get him one as well. He always offered me the shower first, and he let me make the first move in chess. He picked up a little nightstand to put next to my chair/bed in his office. When he put it in the cart, I asked what he was getting it for. He said, "You need somewhere to stack your books and stick your things. I know I let you use all of my places, but I thought you might like one of your own."

I wanted to kiss him so hard right then, but he turned away and headed down another aisle. I wondered if he knew how much he'd made me love him. I was willing to admit it now. The silly sweet man had me wrapped around his chaste finger. If I wasn't afraid to scare him off, I would have jumped him and made out with him right there in housewares.

I think the only thing that helped me hold it together was how much fun we had. We made paper boats to float in our little pond, had picnics and discussed what we would've named things if we were the first people on earth. We took up juggling and practiced together. I decided I wanted to learn after watching Jasper try, and my sweet Edward found it amusing.

We started a fancy meal challenge. We would try to see who could come up with the coolest meal on a five-dollar budget. It ended up being a bunch of meals that were laid out to make silly faces. My favorite was the kissing veggies I'd made. He thought they were butterflies, and he blushed when I pointed out that they weren't. I wondered if he ever thought about kissing me again.

We did things for each other, too. I made his bed one morning, and I later found my socks all matched and lined up in my drawer. He was right; it was nice to have them lined up. I decided to try and do more things like that for him. I even alphabetized the medicine cabinet. He thought that was pretty cool, and he hung a little shelf in the shower for my toiletries.

The sound of bacon sizzling brought me out of my musings, and I knew the smell of heaven was most likely what had woken me. I felt a little stiff as I struggled to get up.

"How are you doing this morning? The painkillers are on the table," he nodded to the bottle, and I made my way over to them. He set breakfast on the table and pushed me a glass of water.

"How are you not crippled this morning?" I moaned, jealous.

He smiled, "I drank a lot of water and stretched out after my shower last night. Not to mention, I'm doped up on painkillers, too. Why don't you go take a hot shower after breakfast, and I'll get to assembling the gazebo."

When I got out of my glorious hot shower, I found Edward outside tightening a bolt on the last leg of the gazebo that was lying on its side. "Didn't the box say this side up on it? I don't think it's the right way up."

"Ha, ha, very funny, you're just in time to help me turn this thing over."

It was definitely a challenge, but we got it standing. After wrestling that thing to its feet, Edward looked dead on his. We decided to take a break, and I fetched us both water to sip and pain pills to take, while we relaxed on the porch swing. I wondered momentarily if I could get matching cushions for it as well. I saw you could buy separate seat cushions…

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it," he warned.

I laughed and went back to admiring our handiwork. "The gazebo is smaller than we expected. There's room for a grill on the extra space."

He looked over at me and then dropped his head back, not saying a word.

"Do you think the furniture will be hard to assemble?" I asked.

"Nah, I think a lot of it's assembled already. We just have to unbox it."

"Awesome."

"Yeah, I'll get right on it," he said and closed his eyes.

I was still feeling good, so I got to work. "I'll get the boxes open and let you know if I need your help moving stuff around."

He gave me a thumbs up with his eyes still closed, making me chuckle. I'd really overworked him yesterday and today.

I unboxed the chaise lounge and dragged it under the gazebo. I thought Edward deserved to try it out first. Once I had the cushions in place, I went and woke him up. "Hey, why don't you go try out your birthday present, while I work on the rest of the set?"

He peeked at me through one eye, and I pointed to the lounge tucked safely in the shade of the gazebo. He made his way over to it with a smile

Once I had all the cushions and pillows in place, it was time to hang my favorite piece, the chandelier. It was a glorified candleholder, but it was made for this kind of setting.

It was a bit past lunchtime when I collapsed on the couch next to Edward. "Hey!" I hollered at him, but he didn't move. I grabbed some paper that had been used to pack the chandelier glass and chucked it at him. I did it a few more times and he finally started to budge. "Hey!" I shouted again.

When he woke up, his eyes settled on the light fixture, looking confused.

"Happy birthday, the dining set requires assembly, so tag, you're it."

"Where did this come from?" He held up a wad of paper that I'd thrown at him.

"Don't know, must be raining tree crap."

"Tree crap?"

"Mashed up wood bits, tree poop," I said like it was obvious.

"You threw tree poop at me?" He took a hand full of the wads and tossed them at me. I batted a few away, smacking them back at him. A tree poop fight ensued, and shit was flying everywhere.

He hoarded all the ammo, and I was left defenseless. "Edward, please…"

"You threw them at me while I was sleeping," he accused playfully.

"I told you, it was the trees!"

"I'll show you trees." He prepared to throw, but I stopped him.

"Don't make me pull out the big guns, you won't like it."

"What are you going to do? I've got all the tree poop."

I gave him wicked grin and tackled him, tickling him like mad. He squirmed and hollered and finally pinned me down. It was only when I threatened to pee on him, did he let up.

"You, little girl, have a mess of crap to clean up. These trees never pooped until you moved out here."

"Maybe they just weren't comfortable around you. You tend to be a little stiff."

When I said stiff, he jumped up and cleared his throat. "I'll get lunch going." I realized he probably thought I was talking about something else on him that went stiff, and I hoped I didn't scare him off for good.

I sat outside, staring in the opened back door. I could see him pouting as he worked. I hoped that if I gave him the space he needed, he wouldn't stay freaked out.

"I have lunch ready," he called from the door way and took a good look at his present for the first time. "This place looks amazing, Bella, thank you."

"Yeah, remind me never to get anything that requires paving stones again," I stood cracking my back. My body felt achy again, but I wasn't sure if it was because of the stones or Edward.

He laughed a little, thinking I was joking, but I was serious. "You should crash on my bed while I work on the dining set. My room is cooler than yours."

"I do like being in your room," I pushed, teasing when I probably shouldn't have.

He looked at me like he knew I was implying something, but didn't understand what it was. I wasn't going to tell him. I'd scared his stiffy off once today. I wouldn't be doing it again.

I took another hot shower after lunch and stretched like Edward suggested. I snuggled into his bed and listened to him moving the pieces of the dining set around. I considered going out to help him, but I heard him mumble something that gave me an idea.

"I don't know why we need six chairs. I've never had six people out here at once," he grumped.

I knew it was most likely true. He had said his family didn't like it out here, but I hoped with the new addition they would. Of course, they wouldn't know to come out to see it unless I called them.

I knew Edward's phone was in his study charging on the desk. I snuck over and opened it. Edward's birthday was coming, and he deserved to have a party. I found the number I wanted and dialed it.

"Hello, Ann Marie, it's Bella."


	22. Chapter 22

I signed up to donate a short story to Fandom for **Leukemia **& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Dollybigmomma held my hand and said she can beta kiss it and make it better.**

**Chapter 22 – Blowout**

Throwing Edward a birthday partying seemed like a good idea at the time, but the closer his birthday got, the more nervous I became. I knew there were people in Edward's family whom he was not fond of. Ann Marie promised to take care of the guest list and the cake. I could get away with buying extra groceries, but a giant cake would look suspicious.

Edward kept looking at me funny. I was pretty sure he knew something was up. He hadn't stopped shaving, though, so I was still in the clear.

Like I had hoped, we spent breakfasts and lunches outside, and we occasionally hung out in our outdoor living room.

"You know, you were a bit excessive. It's only the two of us out here," he commented.

"Well, we could invite people out to sit in the extra seats," I tested the waters.

"Who would we invite? I'm pretty sure we scared Jasper away for some time, even if that Alice woman let him up."

"You could always invite your family out. The few I've met seemed nice enough," I looked at him through my lashes, worried about his response. If he didn't want his family out here, I was screwed.

He didn't answer, just got up and walked away.

It was Saturday, his actual birthday, and we fed the animals first thing in the morning to get it out of the way. We were done by nine, and we decided not to go into town until it was time for our date later today, that in itself had my insides jumping on edge.

We had plans to go into town for dinner and a movie that evening. He was awkward when he'd suggested it, so I knew it was a date, our first date. I hoped it really was our first date. He had been sitting across from me at the dinner table when he mentioned that he liked movies.

"We should go see one sometime," I suggested.

He peeked at me and nodded, "Yeah, we could have dinner, too." He was avoiding all eye contact.

"I'd really like to go to dinner in town and see a movie. That'd be fun. Don't you think?"

He nodded his head, still keeping his eyes on his plate, "Next weekend, Saturday?"

"Isn't that your birthday? It could be like our own little celebration."

He finally made eye contact, smiling huge. "Yeah, it'll be great."

I wondered if he thought my strange behavior was because I was nervous about our date. I hoped not, because I didn't want to discourage any advancement in our relationship, but I also hoped that he did, so he wouldn't know what I was really up to.

It just happened to work to my advantage, so I could get all the side dishes and hors d'oeuvres made before ten. I had bought a couple of family packs of steaks under the guise of it being cheaper. They were in a tub, hidden in the refrigerator's bottom drawer. Luke planned on giving Edward a grill for his birthday and was going to set it up so we could use it by lunch. I still had to make side dishes and some meat and veggie trays. I didn't think it would be possible to make the last two without him knowing something was up.

I got to work, and when Edward questioned why I was making so much food, I told him that it was so we could have some during the week. He really knew I was acting weird now, but he still hadn't figured it out.

Ann Marie invited most of his siblings. There were only two left out, but I didn't know their names or why. I didn't think it was my place to push it, either. All Volturi spouses were left behind, so it was only immediate family. They would have lunch and then head back home that afternoon. I prayed that Edward didn't send me packing with them.

When I pulled out the five bags of lunchmeat to make the meat tray, he asked me what I was doing. A tray of meat didn't make sense if I was making food for later on in the week.

"Okay, I know something is definitely up."

Car tires crunching on the driveway distracted him. I could tell it was more than one car, and wondered who all had made it as Edward walked out onto the porch.

"Edward, my baby, look at that face! You're not covered in hair anymore, so handsome." I didn't recognize the voice and could tell it was an older woman. My knees nearly buckled. It hadn't settled in until that very moment that I'd be meeting Edward's parents. The parents of the man I wanted to keep all to myself for a very long time. I hoped to god that they liked me.

"Where is this pretty girl everyone is talking about? Ann Marie assured me you weren't really living in sin, that she has her own room. How is that even possible in this place?"

"She sleeps on the chair in the study, Mom. You remember, it folds out into a bed," he answered her as they walked in. She glanced over to the study and smiled when she saw the folded blankets, some of my shoes, and my stack of books on the nightstand.

She turned around and looked me up and down. "Come here; let me get a better look at you."

I did as she asked, trying to hide the fact that I was shaking. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Masen."

"It's nice to meet the girl that's making my son smile. Now, put me to work. I know there's a mess of my children on their way."

"What?" Edward didn't seem all that happy.

"Bella, here, is throwing you a birthday party, honey. Be a good boy and thank her. I know she went to a lot of trouble. She and Ann Marie spent all week working on it."

He frowned at me and walked out the back door. I did my best to hold back my tears.

"Edward, honey, go talk to your son. Junior's being a stick in the mud."

A tall, fit man came walking in. He and Edward looked almost identical, except for the gray hair and wrinkles.

He looked at me and gave me a tight smile. "Isabella," he nodded and walked straight out the back door.

Ann Marie showed up with Teresa, Dora and Tony, all carrying food and presents. She saw me looking stressed and hugged me once her arms were empty.

"Do you think he'll kick me out for this?" I whispered.

"No, sweetie, he just needs a moment to let it all settle in. I'll reassure him that I didn't invite the troublemakers. I'm certain he'll come around."

The girls made it out the back door and started squealing as they greeted Edward.

"Oh, my god, Isabella, Annie said you spruced this place up, but this is beautiful," the sister I knew as Dora came prancing in. "Mama, you've got to see this." She hooked her mother's arm, dragging her out the back door.

I went back to making the meat tray, glad that at least part of his family liked me.

"There's the sandwich goddess, in the kitchen like a good little woman. Eddie is a lucky man," Tino said as he came in with Luke.

"Where do you want the grill, honey? Me and Tino will bring it around the back."

"Right out here. We added a new section made with paving stones to set it up on."

Once they stepped out the back door and saw the gazebo, they got excited.

"Thank you, Jesus. I didn't know how yous was gonna fit us all in that tiny hut he calls a house," Tino exclaimed.

"The place looks nice. You did good, Shorty," Luke patted my shoulder. "Come on, let's get the grill going, I'm starving," he nodded at Tino.

Caius, Victor and Joey all rode together. They came in greeting me, and I told them to set the presents on the table outside. They glanced at my arms as they passed. It was funny how I'd forgotten all about my scars, until they all showed up and looked at them. Joey actually stopped and asked to examine them. "Does the skin feel tight or pulled, or is it working out for you?" he pressed around the white scar tissue.

"It feels fine. I haven't had any problems with it."

"That's good, I'm glad you're doing better, Isabella. Now, where's everybody hiding?"

I grabbed the tub of steaks to bring outside to Luke and led the way. Luke clapped his hands, shaking them out like he was ready to jump into a game. "Come on, girl, lay um on me."

I turned them over to him and Tino, who I'd swear did a happy dance.

I looked for Edward nervously. He and Ann Marie were sitting on the loveseat. She was petting his hair, and when they saw me watching, she waved me over. "Come here, honey. I told you it'd be alright."

Edward looked chastened as he apologized. "I'm sorry I freaked out. Thanks for the party."

He said the words, but it didn't feel like he meant them. I was scared he'd be asking Ann Marie to find somewhere else for me to stay once the party was over.

By the end of the party, he was smiling. His mother and Ann Marie fussed over him as if he were an infant. I was surprised they weren't feeding him like a baby the way they went at him.

The gifts his family brought were actually really thoughtful. Most had to do with the outdoors and animals. His parents brought a wedding chapel birdhouse. His mother gave him an expectant look, glancing over at me. Edward blushed, and everyone burst out laughing. It was very clear what she was implying.

I thought I was in the clear as we watched the last family member leave, and he hadn't shoved me in the car with them. I wasn't home free, though. When we stepped back into the house, he shut the door hard. I knew I was in for it. "Isabella, don't you ever invite anyone to my house ever again. Do you understand?"

I held back my tears, "Yes, I'm sorry, I…"

He walked out, slamming his bedroom door before I could finish. He could have been packing my things this very moment, but I hoped he wasn't. I pulled out my bed so I could hide in it. I guessed we wouldn't be having our first date after all.

I didn't know how long I'd been crying into my pillow, but I about leaped out of my skin when Edward said my name. His face was still stern, but his eyes looked softer.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I didn't think…"

"No, you didn't. I don't have them out here for a reason, Isabella. Neither you, nor Ann Marie, had any right to invite anyone out here. If I'd known you were buying that stuff to invite them, I would've told you no. You have no right to interfere with my family. I don't need them out here. I don't want them out here. I thought I'd made that very clear to you," his voice raised, and my tears streamed down my face.

He glared down at me for a beat and then stormed out the back door. I knew I was screwed. I had no place to stay. I did remember there being some sort of seedy motel in the tiny town about half an hour away. That'd be six hours by foot.

I pulled my knees up to my chin as I considered my options, none of them were good. I really had nowhere to go. My best bet would be to start out for that little town. I'd be able to find transportation from there to…wherever.

My chest was so tight, I could barely breathe. I wasn't wanted here anymore, so I didn't want to be here, but then I didn't want to leave, either. Edward was furious. I'd never seen him so mad before. I didn't think he'd ever forgive me for what I'd done.

I went to the bedroom and looked around in the closet at the clothes. Ann Marie had included a large handbag in which I could easily fit a couple of changes of clothes. I took out two outfits and tried to put them in the bag, but ended up on the floor crying my eyes out. I didn't want to leave.

That was where Edward found me. I didn't dare look at his face, not wanting to see his anger. "I'm sorry," I whimpered and tried to shove the clothes in the bag, but I couldn't see through the tears.

"Bella," he said my name so softly, it just made me sob harder.

He picked me up in his arms, holding me tightly against him. "I'm sorry, baby, please don't cry, I'm so sorry." He carried me over to his bed and held me in his arms until I settled down.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"No," he kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry." He held my face so he was looking me right in the eyes, "Isabella, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"But you were right, they're your family, not mine, and I need to remember that, I shouldn't have interfered." I pushed away, trying to get out of his lap.

"No, Bella, no, don't say that. My family loves you, they do. They can be yours, too. I'm sorry I was so upset. I just don't like surprises or uninvited guests. I don't do well with them. I don't know why Ann Marie ever let you think that a party would be a good idea. She knows I don't like people."

My insides were twisting like mad. I wanted to get away and stay at the same time. I wanted to leave, because it was my fault. I was the one that had called and said we should have a party. Ann Marie thought it would be alright if we kept the group small. That should have been the first clue for me to stop the train wreck, but I was stupid and selfish. I'd wanted to do something special for Edward, and to show off the new patio set. If I was being truly honest, I also wanted to show off how good I was for Edward, but I had done the opposite.

He had been quiet and clipped with me all through the family luncheon. He very seldom made eye contact unless someone was speaking of me directly, and he never smiled at me once.

He pulled me back tightly into his arms, tucking my legs up into a ball. He squeezed me and kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry," he said one more time. "Please, don't leave. It looks like you were trying to pack. You weren't, were you? You wouldn't leave me, would you?"

I smooshed my face into his neck, "I didn't want to, but I didn't think you'd let me stay."

"I never once thought about making you leave. No matter how upset I get, Bella, I'm always gonna want to keep you here with me."

I let out a shuddering breath of relief. "I'm sorry," I whispered one more time.

He rubbed my back, "I know. Everything is going to be alright. Why don't you go take a shower and get ready to go out to the movies? I owe you a nice dinner to make up for being a jerk. Can you forgive me?"

I nodded yes with a snotty-nosed smile.

He helped me off the bed and walked me over to the bathroom. He glanced at the bag on the floor and grimaced, "I really am so very sorry, Bella. Do you believe me? I don't ever want you to leave me."

I hugged him tightly to try and reassure him. I felt his lips in my hair.

"I believe you."

"Good, now go get ready, we have dinner and a movie to catch." He sent me off feeling a lot lighter. I hoped that our first date turned out to be a good one.

A/N Many of you expected Edward to react badly to the party, you were right. Good job.


	23. Chapter 23

**This story has been nominated at The Lemonade Stand! **

**Chapter 23 – It's a Date**

I showered and used cold water, trying to get rid of my puffy red eyes. I had a little makeup sisters had brought out for me, but I only used the mascara and lip gloss. I honestly wasn't well versed at putting on makeup, and I was scared if I'd tried to put any more on, I'd look like a clown.

I pulled out a little summer dress that Ann Marie had brought for me. It hit just below the knee and had matching sandals. I slipped those on and stared at myself in the mirror. I was scared out of my mind. It was my first date with Edward, and I really didn't want to mess it up. I was worried that I'd ruin it, and he wouldn't ever take me on a date again. I really wanted him to take me out again and again.

My hair was still damp, so I brushed it as best I could and put it up in a twist. I looked myself over, and I knew I was ready, but I hadn't worked up the nerve to step out the door to meet him. I stood there for nearly ten minutes, before I realized he was already waiting for me.

He must have heard me moving around in his bedroom, because he called to me to hold on. I waited anxiously, wondering if he had changed his mind and was trying to figure out how to call the date off. I heard him knock on the door, so I opened it to a small bouquet of wildflowers.

"I couldn't really knock on your door to pick you up, so I knocked on mine." He looked so adorably nervous.

"Thank you, they're beautiful."

He had a cup of water sitting on the kitchen table, ready to put the flowers in. "I'm gonna have to buy you a vase. I've never needed one before." His hands were tucked anxiously down into his pocket as he shuffled to the front door. He held it open for me, with his eyes focused on the floor.

I might have swished my hips a little more than usual as I walked past him.

He rushed to my side of the truck, opening the door. He always opened it for me, but this time it felt different. He climbed in and sat stiffly next to me. He had on a green button-down shirt and a newer pair of jeans. He looked very nice. I could tell he'd tried to tame his hair, though he had no idea I loved it in disarray. I had half a mind to reach over and mess it up.

When we arrived at the diner, he hurried around the truck, and I let him get my door. He usually got it anyway, but it was definitely different this time.

He held the diner door open, and I smiled at the blush on his cheeks. I wanted to kiss him all over. Once we were seated, he asked me what I wanted. He'd whispered it so quietly, I almost didn't hear him.

"I'll have the cheeseburger. It was good the last time we were here."

He looked up at me worried, and I wondered if he thought I didn't know this was a date. I had a tiny little clutch that held my lip gloss. I thought if he saw it, he'd know I knew tonight was different.

I set it on the table, "I don't know what to do with this. I usually keep stuff in my pockets, but I wanted to bring my lip gloss with." I peeked at him under my lashes, wondering if he'd caught on.

"Lip gloss?"

"Yes, I don't usually wear makeup, but…" My face was hot, and I knew I was blushing.

"You look good with or without it."

"Thank you."

We were quiet through the whole meal. It was silly, really. We'd eaten together several times before. Once at this diner even! I didn't know what was wrong with me.

"Would you like to share some ice cream for dessert?" he asked.

I perked right up. He knew I loved ice cream, and sharing it would be a date thing, albeit a 1950's date thing, but still something that was right up Edward's alley. "I'd love to."

He let out a relieved sigh and flagged down the waitress, ordering a bowl of vanilla. We both scooted closer so we could reach the ice cream in the middle of the table. I swear the jerk from the fire station probably would've hosed us down if he'd seen us, because our faces were both a hot blushing red the whole time we ate. You'd have thought the ice cream would've helped, but it didn't, and I'd never look at vanilla ice cream the same again.

Edward didn't even look at the bill. He must have done the math in his head, because he dropped two twenties on the table and waited for me to get up. I think he was afraid to touch me, which was just silly, because I'd have been all for it if he'd jumped me.

"They only have two films showing, one for kids and one adult. I don't know what they are. I should've looked them up," he looked stressed.

"I'm sure either will be fine. Do we know when it'll start?"

"Even hours, the movies always start on the even hours. We'll be just in time for the eight o'clock one."

"Great, let's go see what they've got," I said cheerfully. I wanted him to know that I was having a good time. Whatever we did, as long as we were together, it was fun to me.

Everywhere he walked, his hands were tucked down into his pockets hard, and they only came out to open my door. He did take them out when he bought us popcorn and drinks. We decided on the kid movie because the adult one was Rated R, and Edward looked a little scared when he saw the movie poster had a scantily-clad woman on it. I was tempted to push for it and see if he'd get turned on enough to try something, but I had a feeling he would've hid his face in the popcorn bucket the whole time. If there was any doubt in my mind that he looked at porn, it was completely gone now.

He led us to the middle of the theatre into the center rows. He wasn't looking to make out in the back of the room. He put the sodas down and held my seat for me. There weren't a lot of people. I guess the showing was at bedtime, so there were only a few families out with kids.

The movie was funny, but Edward didn't do the whole "yawn and stretch to put your arm around the girl" move. I was kind of hoping he would. We did bump hands in the popcorn bucket a few times, and he smiled when they touched. I figured that was a good sign.

When the movie was over, he threw our trash away and went back to hiding his hands and getting my doors. The drive home was quiet again, and I would swear I was going crazy. "I had a wonderful time."

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he drove. "Yeah?" He didn't sound like he believed me.

"Yeah." I was going to bite the bullet. "It was the best date ever." I prayed he didn't say it wasn't a date.

He smiled and blushed. This man was so damned adorable. "It was pretty great," he whispered.

"It was," I agreed.

When we got back to the house, we both settled down some. I took my flowers off the kitchen table and moved them to my nightstand. They really did smell beautiful. "They smell so good," I said when he caught me sniffing them for the third time.

"I'm glad you like them." I wanted to kiss him so bad, but he made no move to come closer to me. "I'll let you get ready for bed first. I have some stuff I need to take care of." He pulled out his phone, and I wondered who he'd call.

When I came out ready for bed, he gave me a big grin. "Goodnight, Bella."

He started for the door, but I wasn't having it. I grabbed his arm, but I knew I needed to start out slow, so I pulled him to me and kissed his cheek, "Happy birthday, Edward, goodnight."

Once his door shut, I heard him cheer and shuffle around like he was dancing. It was nice to know that my little kiss on his cheek affected him just as much as his little kiss on my cheek had me. We were both a pair of goofs.

The next morning, I woke to his fingers in my hair. "Good morning, breakfast is ready."

My huge grin matched his, "Thank you."

He went to set the table, and I stopped to smell my flowers and brought them to the table with me, sniffing them one more time before I set them down. I blushed when he caught me. He wore a big grin, though, so it was totally worth it.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 – Calm Before the Storm**

Things between us after our date were good, normal, the only difference being we both wore big goofy grins all the time. He still worked, and I still read books and cleaned. The only new addition was daydreaming. More than once, Edward had caught me zoning out, focused on him. He had some really, really nice shoulders, and the boy could type like nobody's business. I'd swear it sounded like rainfall the way he went at that keyboard. I'd bet he had some very strong, nimble fingers. That was usually where my brain zoned out.

He hadn't asked me out on another date yet. I was tempted to ask him, but I started to mentally freak out, thinking that he hadn't asked me on another one because he didn't like the first one. It had been pretty tame as first dates went, and I regretted not making more conversation with him.

I felt like I was running out of time. Summer would soon be giving way to fall. We were already deep into July. The summer weather had been wonderful. The most rain we'd had were light rain showers that did nothing but good as they watered the vegetation. Edward had mentioned in passing that he'd have to find his weather radio before the Monsoon. I had heard of the Monsoon, but I hadn't ever really experienced one before.

What I woke to in the middle of the night was no light rain shower. The whole house shook. I thought a tornado had come through, but it never left. It was just the wind, and it was howling mad. I'd never understood before what they meant when people mentioned a howling wind, well this was it. The thunder clapping and shaking the house like it would fall on my head startled me awake. The lightening and wind kept me that way.

I sat up in the dark, looking around for any sign of Edward. It seemed like he should have been battening down the hatches or something to keep his little house from blowing away.

I climbed out of bed and called for him, but another loud clap of thunder made it mute. I didn't see him in the living areas, so I opened his bedroom door. I was shocked to find him sound asleep, leg uncovered and half off the bed. He was sprawled across it in such a way that made me wonder how he'd ever slept on the couch and managed to stay on it.

Another clap of thunder rocked the cabin, and the walls shook around us. Edward didn't even flinch. His house could have been falling down around him, and yet he was sound asleep.

"Edward," I called to him and pushed his foot with my toe.

He smiled in his sleep and rolled over mumbling, "Buttons."

The loud crack of lightening rocked the house again, taking me by surprise. I jumped on Edward, gripping his PJ shirt. "Edward!" I squealed as I yanked his shirt. He had to wake up. We were going to die, and I didn't want to die alone.

I was suddenly pinned under Edward. It happened so fast that I thought the roof had fallen on us for a moment.

"Bella?" He looked down at my hands fisting his shirt, confused as he pulled away from me. The crackle of lighting rocked the house again, causing me to squeal and yank him back down on me. I felt his arms worm under my back, and he pulled me into his lap. "You're scared of the storm?" I could tell he was trying to be sensitive, but there was a distinct smirk in his voice.

"The house is going to blow down. The wolf himself couldn't blow any harder!"

"It's just a Monsoon storm. I told you they'd be coming," he rubbed my back. "This cabin isn't going anywhere." We looked out the window and saw a patio cushion blow by. "I can't guarantee the stuff outside, though. That's going to be a mess to clean up."

I didn't get anywhere near dozing off, even in Edward's arms during that storm. When it was over, Edward walked me back to my bed and tucked me in like a father would a silly little girl. I felt like this was a distinct step back in our relationship, and it was pissing me off.

I woke up around lunchtime, when Edward called me to the kitchen. He was making sandwiches and looked stressed. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"Do you want me to do that? Is there some work or something you need to do?" I asked glancing at his computer.

He let out a sigh and shook his head no. I noticed he hadn't shaved, and I hoped it was just because he hadn't had a chance to shower. When we sat at the table to eat lunch, I couldn't take my eyes off him, willing him to tell me he'd just been too tired to shower.

"What?" he finally snapped.

His grumpy demeanor was working in my favor. "You didn't shave." His frown deepened as he rubbed his face, but he didn't say anything. "Are you mad at me?" He glanced at the back door and then frowned down at his plate. "Edward, please." I was really starting to freak out.

He looked up at my face with a pained expression. "No, I just have a lot on my mind."

He took a couple more bites of his sandwich, before he dropped his plate in the sink and went out the back door.

I wanted to follow him, but I felt like I should give him some room. He was obviously upset about something, and I didn't want to push him. I needed him to work through whatever it was, so he would shave and be my Edward again.

When I finally made it into the backyard, I saw that most of the outdoor furniture had been thrown and bent in some way. Edward had driven deep weighted anchors into the ground to secure the gazebo when he'd put it up. I'd thought it was overkill, but now I saw that it wasn't. It was still standing, and half of its cover was flipped off of it, but it didn't look torn. Edward looked back at me and then moved the ladder he had out over to the corner of the gazebo and got to work pinning it all back down. The umbrella that had been on the table was long gone, and the table itself was tipped over. I stood it up, pleased that it wasn't messed up. Out of all the chairs, only two were in working order. The only pieces of the other furniture still usable were the chaise lounge and the couch. The cushions for the couch were missing, and the lounge cushion was stuck up in a tree. I looked over at the ladder and made a mental note that it would be reachable.

Edward moved around the yard quietly. It wasn't unusual for him to be quiet, but this was a tense and uncomfortable quiet. We usually felt content in our silence. This was completely different, and it was really starting to worry me.

Several of the birdfeeders were broken or lost. Of the ten, we could only salvage three, but Edward didn't seem bothered by it. He dug around in that shed of his and pulled out a box that held six brand new feeders.

"Spares?" I asked.

"There was a clearance sale. It's what spurred the bird feeding in the first place. They were only a dollar each. I took the whole lot of them. It was two pallets worth."

I looked a little deeper into his shed and could see the left side of it was lined with boxes stacked to the roof. "That's a lot, but that doesn't look like two pallets."

"I've been out here almost three years now. I bought these the first week I moved in. I've gone through several. I had problems with other animals stealing them, but I found if I put out food for them, they'd leave the birdfeeders alone. I learned to put the feeders up higher as well. Even then, I lost a couple when I dropped them as I changed them out. You know how hard it is to switch them."

"Yeah, you've done well, but now you've completely ruined my theory that you're the male version of Snow White."

He gave me a sideways glance like I was insane.

"What, she was good with animals! Your house is party central for animals. You should have a cover charge. I'd bet you'd have enough random twine and nesting material to build a freaking mansion."

He cracked a small smile and snorted a laugh, that was it. I knew I had my work cut out for me.

We went about cleaning up the yard quietly. When it came time to move the pile of broken and disfigured furniture, he looked it over frowning, and then he went into the house. I had a feeling the lost furniture was what was causing him a lot of distress. He'd thought it was too much, and now that I knew exactly how badly he hated having people over, I knew that we shouldn't replace it. There would be enough left to have his parents or Ann Marie come and visit, but no more than that.

He was making dinner when I came in the back door. He was banging pots louder than he needed to, but he still didn't say a word to me. He gave me a tight smile as I set the table. When we finally sat down together, he focused solely on his food, not looking at me at all, and I was getting frustrated.

"That furniture won't burn," I said finally getting his attention.

He took a deep breath and answered, "No, it won't."

"Do you have a dump or something, since it can't go into the pit?" I asked and he shrugged one shoulder. I flopped back in my chair, "Well, you'll have to look one up so we can get rid of it. We'll just have to make do with what's left over. We could probably move the table over by the couch and chaise. That's really all we need anyways, right?" I smiled at him and he peeked at me, so I went on, "You know, enough for each of us to flop down on or something after I've worked you to death."

He seemed to let out a relieved breath, but he still wasn't talking.

"Did the grill survive? I saw you looking it over." He nodded yes, and I was getting even more frustrated with him. "We're playing chess after dinner," I demanded firmly.

His brow scrunched like he might protest, but I wasn't letting him. I pointed my fork at him, "You will not give me crap about this, Edward. Something is up, and I don't deserve to be treated this way."

When I said the last bit, his whole face crumbled. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

I nodded at him, "Chess after dinner."

He set up the board, while I washed our dishes. I glanced over at him and saw him waiting for me, while I finished up my chores. He had his head in his hands, and he looked even more distressed than before. I dried my hands and sat across from him, making my first move, and then I spoke. "You need to tell me what has you upset. I don't like to see you so stressed out, Edward. I can't help you if you don't tell me what you need."

"It's more like what _you_ need."

"What do I need? So far, I feel pretty content, so I think you're wrong to assume I need anything."

He shifted in his seat and made his move. "You need people."

"People?" I moved my piece.

"I don't talk to people. I don't socialize. I don't have company, and it was only Jasper's perseverance that let him find me. I never told him where I lived."

"We've already established that you're not a people person, and I can see why you didn't give Jasper your forwarding address. The guy's a freak."

"It's not that simple. You have no other way to contact anyone. I shouldn't have left my phone unattended. You could've caused so much trouble if you'd called a friend instead of Ann Marie."

"I'd have to have a friend."

"Even your parents, though, I know you want them to not be mad at you, but they can't be trusted."

We made a few more moves back and forth, finishing the rest of the first game in silence. He wasn't wrong about my parents. They'd wanted me to help take down the Volturi, but I didn't see how that would affect Edward out here. He wasn't connected at all.

I set up the game, trying to think of a way to ask him about what was going on. I knew he was messed up with bad anxiety because he had been kidnapped before, but I didn't think that was an issue anymore.

"I'm sorry I used your phone."

He laughed and shook his head. "You have no idea how risky it was for me to leave it out, what could've happened if you'd tried to order food to be delivered, or hell, just called anywhere. Having you out here poses a much higher risk for exposure, and that was why I was so stunned when they brought you here. You don't know how dangerous it is that you're here. They believe you can be trusted, but that usually isn't enough in the Volturi family."

"What are you talking about?"

"When they said you were just coming here for a little while, I knew something was very wrong. Coming out here was probably a last resort on Ann Marie's part. I have no clue what the hell she was thinking when she sent you here, though," he shook his head.

"It's a nice quiet place to hide out. Why wouldn't she send me out here?"

He laughed blackly and got up, not finishing our last game. "I forfeit," he said and disappeared into his room. I heard the shower turn on as I made my bed, and I was startled by a loud thump up high on the wall. It sounded like he'd punched it.

I was feeling even more lost and confused than I had before dinner. For once, talking hadn't helped, and he hadn't made it any clearer what was going on. It looked like I was going to have to drag it out of him.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 – Naïve**

The next morning, I woke to Edward moving a couple of things in his office. He shut down his computer and tucked his phone into his pocket. I was so focused on his scruffy face that I missed what was leaning against his desk.

He picked up the giant axe and swung it up to his shoulder, like I'd swing my backpack on. He gave me one grimacing glance and then walked out the back door. I made it to the door in time to see him disappear into the brush. I was stuck alone at the house today, and I didn't think I'd like it.

I had breakfast and showered. Once I was ready for the day, I went to the back porch to see if I could find Edward. I heard him chopping in the distance, but it seemed to echo, so there was no way to pinpoint where he actually was. I pouted and went back to my room, or his study. I picked out a book, determined to sit on the porch swing and wait for him.

I looked around the yard and noticed Edward had finished the cleaning. The pile of broken things was gone, and I wondered how late I'd actually slept. It didn't feel that long, but it sure seemed like it. My curiosity got the better of me, so I walked around the front of the house to see if Edward had loaded the stuff into his truck to take to the dump. For some reason, I was disappointed that he had. I didn't know what I thought he'd do with the stuff, but he had a way of dealing with things in ways I'd never expect.

I went back inside the house and opened the doors for a cross breeze. It felt really nice, but I heard the fluttering of papers coming from Edward's desk. They had originally been tucked under his keyboard, so I was surprised to find they were out at all. I was sure Edward would freak about them, just as he had over his stupid phone.

I shut the doors and went to tuck them back under the keyboard to keep him from freaking out again, when I saw something unsettling. The name on the papers wasn't Edward Masen, but Edward Cullen. I heard clunking around the backyard and quickly tucked them back into place. I'd keep this discovery to myself for now.

It felt like lunchtime, so I got to work making us some sandwiches. When he came in the back door, he didn't say a word, but got right to work setting the table. I placed a large glass of ice water out for him along with his food. I settled down across from him nervously, worried that he'd be able to tell that I knew something I shouldn't.

"You've been gone all morning." I wasn't sure what to say, but I didn't like the way things were right now.

"We need firewood," he said not looking up from his plate.

"But it's still summer."

"Can't chop in the snow," he grumped.

"I guess that makes sense. Can I help?"

"You're stuck out here." His eyes burned into me.

I swallowed hard and shrugged, "Here's nice, when you're not being a butthead."

He snorted, but didn't say anything.

"I don't like you acting like this and not shaving. You need to go back to the way you were," I insisted.

"The way I was? Bella, I hoped that you'd understood. I wondered if Ann Marie had made your dire situation clear."

"I know I can't go back right now."

"You're not going back, Bella, ever! I didn't understand why she sent you here. No one walks away from here alive. I'd hoped that you were something different, a fluke and accepted it somehow. But you're not. You like people. You invited others out here, and I'm amazed Ann Marie got so many cleared. Three of my brothers had never been out here before. I doubt they were supposed to be." He sank back in his chair. "You were set up, we were set up, and I suspected as much that first night I spoke to Ann on the phone. She told me to get to know you, that you were a nice girl. I wondered why they would send a nice girl out here."

"They just wanted me out of the way. If you don't want me here…"

"That's the thing, Bella, and I thought you'd figure it out. I don't like people here. No one is allowed out here, and so many people out here freaked me out."

"I know you have anxiety issues."

"It's more than anxiety! It's a downright legitimate fear. They're out there, and they'll get me if the opportunity presents itself!" He pointed harshly at the door, "If someone squeals, if someone breaks because they're tortured, I'm screwed. I sent you away that day we knew someone was here because I didn't want you to be collateral damage.

"Looking at the broken furniture, I realized you liked people. You didn't know the danger you'd put them in by inviting them out here. You want family, and I can't give you that. I can't even have my own. There's too much risk associated with knowing me and where I live. It's not allowed. The only reason Jasper is still alive is because no one knows he exists. They think we lost touch before I moved out here. They don't know that he's come back. He's a risk, and I told him that. I told him that he'd be killed by both sides if word ever got out."

"What about that Alice girl?"

"Jasper called me something different. He didn't tell her my real name. He gave her something bogus like John Smith. He knows better than to even breathe a word about me to anyone else."

I stood up pacing, not completely sure what the hell was going on.

"I asked you what you'd do when you'd leave, testing to see if you knew. When you said school, when you said go back to high school, I knew you didn't."

"I'm not going back until the spring semester. I still don't understand why you're giving me crap. I'm fine without other people. You're enough company for me. I know you're in hiding, even if I don't know from what, it doesn't matter."

"I've given you space. I wondered if you could ever have feelings for someone like me, for someone trapped like I am. I realized as I moved that broken furniture that you still didn't know you were in a cage. You didn't know that you've been locked away. You're not going for the spring semester, Bella. They had no intention of ever letting you leave."

"Yes, they do!" I knew Ann Marie cared for me. "You're sister said she'd take care of it. That they were even going to pay for it. She wants me to get my education. She gave me extra college applications for Christ sake. Whatever you're thinking, you're thinking wrong. It's not what you think. I didn't come here of my own accord, but I like it here, so I'm okay with it. I'm happy here. She sent me here for my own good. I think she sent me here to help you, too. We've had fun, we've become friends, and yes, I don't know everything, but I do know that I'm fine here, or there. I'm safe."

He got up and walked out the back door, slamming it hard.

I still felt like I was in the dark and totally missing something. He hadn't really enlightened me to anything. I knew he was in hiding. I got that from when those guys had come for me and they were "taken care of" by his brothers. I knew anonymity was important, but I was trusted. I was here because I'd proven I could be trusted.

I hadn't gone over the college applications Ann Marie had given me, but I knew she had added to my stack. She hugged me and comforted me. She protected me from getting hurt, and she took my side when it came to her son's bad behavior. I knew she'd sent me here for my own good. It seemed like the safest house she knew of, and she wanted me safe.

I didn't want to fight anymore. I went back to reading my book and decided to ignore the brooding Edward. I'd act normal, even if he wasn't. I made dinner and set up the chessboard. I waited for his return, worried that he might not come back. He hadn't taken his truck, and it would be dark soon. I didn't like him being out so late.

When he finally came home, I was furious. He stomped his boots on the porch, knocking out the dirt and alerting me to his presence. I yanked the door open and shouted at him, "Where the hell have you been?" He looked at me confused. "You had me worried sick. It's getting dark and you take off all mad and don't come back. You didn't even take your gun!" His mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out. "Don't you run off on me again, or so help me god, I'll tie your wandering ass up!"

He actually laughed at me, so I punched him in the gut. He caught my hand easily and pulled me into a hug. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I squeezed him back with all my might and burst into tears. I felt his lips on the top of my head as he whispered he was sorry.

"I made dinner," I whimpered out. I pulled him over to the table, and we sat down to eat our cold meal.

He glanced over at the set-up chessboard and took a deep breath. "Let me shower first, and then we can play a few games."

I nodded, conceding

I cleaned up while he showered, then sat next to the chessboard, waiting for him. He came out in his PJ's and sat across from me, clean-shaven.

I launched myself into his arms, thrilled he had shaved. "I've missed you," I whispered.

"I'm sorry. I'm worried about you, and I don't know how to tell you what's going on. I can't tell you more, but think I should alert you to your precarious position. You said you only have circumstantial evidence, but enough for them to get a search warrant, one that could potentially cause a lot of trouble, because the Feds can't be trusted. They'd happily plant evidence so they could attempt to take down the Volturi."

"I thought you didn't like the Volturi? You said they were bad and deserved to be punished."

"Some of the people they work with are very bad. Even a couple of my siblings are more trouble than your average thug. If one of them did anything in front of me, I wouldn't hesitate to turn them in. I think they know it, that's why they don't know where I am."

"The missing two..."

"Yes, the missing two. The other ten shouldn't be out here. Ann Marie was fine, but the rest, they shouldn't have come. My sisters put their noses where they shouldn't. They bust in and cause trouble here all the time. They don't think I can dress myself, and my bed needs to have matching sheets. My sisters knowing where I am puts them at risk, but they're also married to Marcus's brothers. They're pretty high up and have full security on them." He looked me in the eyes, as if he was waiting for something. He finally closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Who will look out for you if you go back, Bella?"

I shrugged. "I'm sure Ann Marie will think of something."

"I hope you're right," he grimaced and made his first move in chess, closing the subject. There was still so much I didn't know.

He was too distracted to beat me, so I whooped him in chess and gloated obnoxiously, coaxing a smile out of him. That was exactly what I was shooting for.

I hoped tomorrow would be a better day. That he'd still be shaving, and I could get another smile out of him. I was going to try for a laugh. That'd be my goal, to get Edward to laugh. I missed hearing it, and I would not let him keep it from me any longer. That was just one more thing that was not allowed. He'd have to learn who the boss was. It was me, and there was no pouting or brooding allowed.


	26. Chapter 26

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**Chapter 26 – Keys**

The next morning, I woke to the smell of bacon. I stretched as I came out of my room. "You better have had plans to wake me. You're not allowed to have happy bacon without me."

He looked over at me, his eyes settled on my hair, and he smirked. "I'll gladly share my bacon with you."

"You're bacon?" I made sure I sounded offended.

"Okay, the bacon, we're sharing _the_ bacon. I planned to, anyways. I was going to let you sleep, though. I'll be out collecting the firewood today," he said as we started in on our food.

"I'm going with. Don't even think about leaving without me," I stated firmly, while I pointed my fork at him.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," he frowned and focused on his plate.

"Not this again." I kicked his shin under the table. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but it stops now. We've already established that I'm happy here, and we have fun together. I like being out here, Edward. Why is that so hard for you to grasp?"

"It's not what I'm not grasping, but what you're not grasping, Bella. It's right in front of your face. They said you were smart and would pick up on stuff fast before anything ever went down, so why the hell can't you see what's right in front of your face!" he shouted.

I had half a mind to chuck my syrup-cover pancake at his head for calling me stupid. When he saw how hurt I was, he left the table. He didn't go out the back door, but the front this time. This was obviously going to be a point of contention until we cleared everything up. Maybe I was stupid, because I wasn't sure what needed resolving. I knew why I was here. I knew what I had planned for the future, but he didn't seem to think I had it right.

I dressed for the day, only putting on a tank top and shorts, because it was humid. I wasn't even going to pretend to wear jeans. I slipped on my hiking boots and met him on the front porch. He was staring off up the driveway, but I hadn't heard anyone coming down it. The gravel always announced someone's approach.

"Ready," he asked not even looking at me.

"Yeah." I hopped off the porch and strode out in front of him. "Let's get a move on." I marched away, ready to show him I was worth taking along.

"Bella, it's this way."

I turned to see him walking around the side of the house. He stopped at the shed to get a wheelbarrow and led out, heading off the far side of the property towards the trash pit. I had yet to go out there, but I knew it was in that direction.

"We'll start with the close wood first." There were several trees that had been chopped back away from the pit, most likely for safety reasons. They were already sliced into moveable pieces. At least I thought they were until I tried to move one.

"This is heavy," I grunted, moving the smallest I could find.

Edward frowned at me. "Maybe I should split them first. They'll be easier for you to move then."

"Yes, please."

He nodded, kicking the biggest log on end and then went to standing another one on top of that. He drove a wedge into it and then split it with one hard swing. I actually screamed and jumped back as the wood popped off the chopping log.

"You okay?" he looked me up and down.

"Yeah, that's just…"

He waited for me to finish what I was saying, but I really had no idea how to finish that sentence, nothing sounded right. He stalked over to me, and I was worried he was going to send me home, but he kicked over a log that was on the ground next to me. "Sit, I'll be done soon."

I did as he said, watching him chopping logs like he was cutting cheese, and not the farting kind. He had twenty logs, and now he had forty. I thought that would be enough, but he started picking up the half logs and doing the same again, popping them off the chopping log with one hit. I knew he was strong, but I never realized how strong until this moment.

I'd been sitting there for a while and was getting thirsty. I knew Edward had to be dehydrated. "Edward," I called over to him.

He looked up at me confused, but I brought over the water to him. He took it with a smile and sat down on the empty chopping block.

"You're not making this any smaller, right?" I picked up a couple of quartered logs.

"Nah, they'll fit that size."

I hurried over to the wheelbarrow and brought it closer. I stacked up as many chopped pieces as possible. I felt lame, only able to fit twelve pieces into it. Edward stood up like he was done with his break, and I tried to get the wheelbarrow out of his way, but was failing horribly. After I almost tipped it, Edward jumped in to help, laughing at me. "Don't hurt yourself."

He had reached around me to grab the handle and steady it, so his arms were around me. We set the wheelbarrow down, and I turned into his chest. I didn't know why I was so clingy, it just felt like he had been trying to push me away, and I didn't like it.

"I'll take this back. It's time for lunch anyways." He stepped around me and grabbed both handles, moving the wheelbarrow with ease. I followed after him and hurried in to make lunch as he unloaded the wood out back.

"Food's ready," I called to him.

He hosed himself down, and my eyes nearly glazed over. He was hot, and I wished it was totally acceptable for me to join him in the water. Too bad I didn't have a chance. He shut it off, and I handed him a towel from his back porch cabinet.

I had already set the table, so he went right to his food. He wasn't talkative, but it wasn't a painful silence, so I let it be. We worked the rest of the day. I didn't really do much other than hand him water, and load the wheelbarrow. I'd help him stack the wood in the shed once he moved it. I still couldn't lift that dang wheelbarrow when it was full.

The last trip, I stayed behind to shower and make dinner. I was already in my PJ's when he came in a wet sweaty mess.

He nodded at me and then went to his room. I knew he'd shower and change, before he settled down at the table with me.

He looked a little nervous when I served him his plate, but I couldn't imagine why. After a few bites, he finally spoke, "Show me your papers."

"Papers?"

He took a deep breath, "One of us is right, maybe the papers will tell us who."

"I'm telling you, I'm here of my own accord, Edward. I could leave if I wanted. I could call up Ann Marie, and I'm sure she'd help me find a place, or I could go away by myself. They gave me the means to do so when they settled with the FBI."

"In the spring, you're gonna leave me," he looked at me sadly.

I shook my head at him. "You're ridiculous." I left the table, trying to think of how to fix things. What to say to him. The truth was I had to leave him in the spring. I wasn't a dropout. I wasn't a loser. "I have to go back to school, Edward!" I snapped at him.

His eyes widened, shocked that I'd shouted at him.

"Do you think I want to leave you, leave here? I didn't graduate. I don't have a damn high school diploma, and even with that fat trust fund, I can't live off it forever."

His brow furrowed.

"I wouldn't leave if I didn't have to. If I could stay here forever, I would. It's nice, quiet, and peaceful. Best of all, there's this really hot guy that takes his shirt off to shake birdseed out of it, and then he hoses himself down. All of nature's beauty has nothing on him." My eyes were tearing up, and once he pulled me into his arms, I lost it.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered into my hair.

"It's high school, you have to go to it, even if you don't want to. It's the only way to get decent grades and graduate. And believe me; I really don't want to go." I squeezed him hard. I was tired of hiding from him. He had to know how I felt about him. It had to be obvious to him.

"Jesus, you're just a kid that wants to go back to school." He crushed me in his arms. "You stepped into the wrong crowd. You may not have meant to, but you did. I'll do my best to fix it, but I can't make any guarantees."

I pulled back, confused and upset. He'd called me a kid. I was a month from my nineteenth birthday, and he had just barely turned twenty-two. I shoved him away from me. "I'm not a kid! What in hell gave you the idea that I was just a kid? Christ, Edward, are you dense? Maybe you want to get rid of me. I was stupid for thinking you liked having me around."

"Bella, stop it."

"No, it's fine. Look over my papers. Make sure everything is in order so you can kick me out. I'm sure you're tired of babysitting. I'm taking a shower." I stormed out of there like a child throwing a tantrum.

I did my best to keep quiet. I knew better than anyone how thin the shower wall was, so I held back my tears of humiliation. I'd already showered before, so there was nothing to do besides sit on the shower floor and let my mind run crazy.

I questioned everything we'd done together, everything I thought was him showing interest in me. I'd had it all wrong. It was obvious, now that I thought about it. He never kissed me. Hell, he never even held my hand. I felt like a stupid teeny bopper with a crush. I'd read so much into everything, and I meant nothing to him. I was just a silly little girl to him.

When I finally gained enough courage to face him, I went out and asked him about my papers. "So, is everything in order like I told you it was?"

He grimaced. "It's not as bad as I thought. I'll call someone tomorrow to make sure they'll let you go to school."

"I was one of their best students. I was the principal's pet. I know I'll be accepted."

He tugged on his hair and pulled at his shirt collar. "I'm heading to bed. We'll talk some more in the morning."

I left my papers on the table, not wanting to look at them and question myself or Ann Marie. She'd done nothing but look out for me. I trusted her. Even Edward seemed more at ease once he'd looked things over. I was sure he was just paranoid after living his life on high alert all the time. I knew he'd have good news for me in the morning.

The next day, Edward was pacing the cabin, highly irritated. I wanted to ask him why, but I knew better. He looked out the window and patted his coat, looking for something. "Stay in my room and don't come out. I need to handle this on my own."

"Edward…"

I wanted to insist that he let me stay with him, but he wouldn't budge. We heard the telltale crunch of tires on the driveway. When I went toward the window, but Edward grabbed me roughly. "I said bedroom, and you don't come out."

"What's going on? Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just have to speak to the man who holds the keys to your freedom. Don't you dare come out, do you understand me?"

I was really starting to worry. I didn't know who this guy was, but I didn't like him already.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 – Daddy Dearest**

As soon as Edward shut the bedroom door, with one last warning to stay hidden, I hurried into the bathroom. I'd figured out that all the walls were made of heavy logs, except for the interior bathroom and kitchen walls, which were hollow for the plumbing. The kitchen wall was lined with cabinets and muffled the sound too much, but the bathroom wall was bare, and sound was undeterred by anything.

I heard the heavy steps of a man, but it sounded like he'd come out alone. "Junior, how's my little boy?"

"Alright."

"No problems out here? I heard Luke and Tino were out here to take care of something, a couple of guys?"

"It wasn't what you think."

"That's what they tell me. How about you enlighten me?"

"There was this girl…"

"Oh!" He let out a laugh, "They knocked off a broad? That's what she gets for threatening my boy."

"No, it wasn't that. The guys were out to take her. They got bumped off for trying."

"And she was out here?"

Edward started laughing. "I'm so screwed."

"What's going on? Who's this chick that's causing you trouble? She needs to be taken care of."

"That's the thing. I don't want her taken care of. I called you out here, because I thought you knew she was here."

"Ain't nobody supposed to ever come out here. You're number one on the hit list. Because of you…"

Edward cut him off. "Don't, I don't want to hear about it."

"You need to remember there's a mark on your head. I'm not letting them take you from me. They killed your mother, but they ain't getting you!" the guy nearly shouted.

"And I'm supposed to just rot out here alone? Luke said he took care of all those guys."

"He did, but they have family and close friends that want revenge for what you caused to happen."

"What I caused? They were the ones that took me. I did nothing!"

"They don't see it that way. The only way you wouldn't have a mark out on you was if you were dead or I'd complied, and even if I'd complied, you'd still most likely be dead. It was the only way, and you know it!" the stranger shouted.

"I don't want to be alone."

"I can't send some whore out here for you to bump with. They work for cash and would squeal after the first hit if they didn't take the roll. Tony wouldn't put his girls up to it, anyways. He's protective of his whores."

"What if I told you I found someone I could trust, that you could trust?"

"No such woman exists. I'm sorry, Junior."

"NO, she does exist. She's proven she can be trusted, but you ordered her death to keep things from getting messy."

"I keep things clean for our family, for your family!"

"When will I ever have a life?"

"You're safe out here."

"I'm trapped out here!"

"You want to be back in their hands? You like being tortured? Because that's exactly where you'll end up if you don't keep your mouth shut and your head down!"

"I love her." I almost didn't hear Edward's words.

"That's the worst kind of woman to have around. I loved your mother and look what happened to her."

"Don't, she's not…"

"She was in hiding, Edward, do you remember that? She was in hiding, and then some rat bastard broke and she ended up dead. I had her well hidden, and she still ended up dead! You want that? You want that for you and some broad just asking to die?"

"I don't want to be alone out here anymore."

"I know Ann Marie has snuck out here. She's lucky she's your brother's wife, or I'd have taken her out. No one is allowed out here, Edward. I'm sorry."

"Dad, please."

"If you brought someone out here, they'd have to live like you. They'd never be able to go back. You want that for them?"

"I don't want you to track her down and kill her!"

"Loose ends need to be tied."

"Damn it, Dad, she's not a loose end!"

"Then what the hell is she?"

"Mine, she's mine."

"Does she know this?"

"Yes."

"You don't sound so sure of it. Did you just knock her up or what?"

"No, I didn't knock her up, but that doesn't change the way I feel about her."

"How did you even meet this shorty? You're not supposed to do anything but blend in up in that Podunk-ass city down the road. Who the hell have you been talking to?" There was a long stretch of silence. "Damn it, boy, speak up!"

"I can't tell you."

"Who the hell are you protecting? Does she know where you live?" I heard the big man moving around, and I knew then I was in trouble when I heard him swear. "Are you stupid?" he shouted, and then I heard the bedroom door being slammed open.

"You can't kill her, don't kill her!" Edward screamed as the bathroom door was knocked open. I was huddled in a ball on the floor. I finally understood everything. I finally knew why Edward was so upset.

A familiar pair of golden eyes glared at me, but they weren't Edward's. Edward jumped in front of the gun the man had pointed at me, and I quickly wrapped myself around Edward, terrified.

"Are you fucking stupid?" the man shouted. "A broad is exactly the way they'd go about getting to you."

"They didn't send her out here."

"And how do you know that?"

Edward was silent, I knew from overhearing everything that Ann Marie would be in deep shit if this guy knew it was her that had sent me out here.

"Give me the girl, Junior, and I won't kill who you're protecting."

"Yes, you will."

The man glared at Edward. "You're trusting the wrong people here. I'm looking out for you. Why can't you see that?"

"She's mine."

"Does she know that?"

"Yes!" I shouted firmly.

The man laughed blackly, "People tend to say anything when a gun is pointed at their head. Give me the girl, Junior. You know I have no choice. You don't know who set her up with you. You don't know who she's affiliated with."

"She's not affiliated with anyone!"

"She's not gonna come out and say, 'I'm here to set you up,' you idiot. She's a fucking cooze, out here to fuck you and give up your position."

"She's been out here for months! Since February, and nothing's happened."

"Luke and Tino came out here to pick their nose then?"

"That wasn't what you think?"

"Then enlighten me, what makes you think this girl is anything more than a flare giving up your position?"

"Because she hasn't. She's content to just sit around and read, clean and play chess. She helps me with the birdfeeders, she hangs out with me and swears that she's happy and having fun. She's been here for months! You couldn't even stand it here a day without crawling out of your skin."

"That only means they're paying her well."

"They're not paying her."

"Let me get a look at this girl you want to keep so badly."

"Don't hurt her."

"She better give me the right answers if she wants to live."

"She's not with anybody."

"Then this should be easy for her. Step out of the bathroom, little girl, and show me what you got."

Edward was holding me back, but I pushed around him. "Don't, you can't trust him."

He pulled on my arm, but I yanked it away from him. "I have nothing to hide."

The man laughed darkly with an evil grin. "This one's brave. Now tell me how the hell you got out here. Because I know that pussy wouldn't bring you out here. He knows better."

I realized my mistake too late. What I'd heard led me to believe that Ann Marie and Caius would be in deep shit if I opened my mouth.

I must've taken too long because he raised his gun again. "Who the hell brought you out here?"

I looked down at the ground.

"Answer me!" He back handed me, knocking me to the floor, rattling my brain in my head. If he was gonna kill me, I wasn't gonna give up anybody else, and I was pretty damn sure he was gonna kill me. Apparently, that was the plan he'd had all along, way before I'd even come out here. I realized now that Ann Marie had put me here to hide me from more than just the Feds.

I heard the gun cock and felt a body over mine. "I won't let you kill her."

"She's protecting someone. You want she should kill you? Because that's what's gonna happen. She already set you up. Now you gotta move again. You're not safe here anymore."

My body jolted, and Edward was gone. "Ann Marie!" he shouted from across the room. "She's protecting _your _affiliates. It was Ann Marie that sent her out!"

"She can't stay. You think Ann can just yank some cooze off the street for you and call it good, because her little boy is lonely?"

Edward moved back over me. "She's already proven herself. She wasn't gonna give Ann Marie up. She proved she could be trusted, and this isn't even the first time!"

"Not the first time?"

"No, she protected little Marky from the Feds, even after Marky hurt her and knocked up their maid. Isabella didn't say a damn thing, and you still planned to clean her up."

"She could change her mind."

"But she didn't, she went against the Feds and her own parents, and she had nothing with her when she came out here. She had nothing and was given nothing to keep her mouth shut. She didn't squeal, and she had no idea she had a mark on her head, or that she was trapped out here with me. She thought she could leave, but she didn't even try. She wants to be here with me. Being knocked around and threatened with death wasn't gonna make her talk. Losing her family and being thrown in prison wasn't gonna make her talk. She's not gonna turn on me. She's not gonna turn on anyone."

The monster lowered his gun. "I just want you safe."

"I'm safe with her."

"You know I can't let her live."

"You have to, she's my wife."

"What?" we both said shocked.

"When Victor drew up the papers for her to disappear, he put her down as my wife. If you kill a man's wife, you'll lose loyalty. If people think their families are in danger, there'll be an uprising. You can't kill her, or I'll be the one you have to worry about. I'll be the one squealing. She's mine," Edward said more firmly.

"Your fucking wife? What the hell, you couldn't say that before?"

"She didn't know."

"Fuck, I can tell by the look on her face she didn't have a clue. That still don't explain why you didn't say that first."

"I didn't think it would matter. You didn't trust her; and wife or not, I doubted that would've stopped you."

"You're right, it wouldn't have. She's still a stranger, and it's just a fucked up fake paper with forged signatures."

"Forged or not, it's a real marriage license. It's enough of a paper to ruin you."

"You watch your mouth, little boy. Don't let those britches get too big. You show some respect for your father."

"She's mine, she's my wife. You can't take her from me. She's proven she can be trusted. Ann Marie knew this; she knew Bella was a good Italian Catholic girl who could keep her mouth shut. She's exactly what you would've wanted if I wasn't trapped here. Even so, she's happy here, content, as she always says. Please, just let her stay with me."

"Fuck, you know what kind of trouble this could cause? What if you knock her up? Who's gonna deliver that baby? Where are you gonna put the kid? You've got too many variables…"

"Joey," I answered. "Joey can catch the baby, and we can put it in the study. That's all the room we need. Edward built this house, and if need be, we can work together and add on more."

"How the hell do you know Joey?" the man growled at me.

I held up my arms to show my scars. "Let's just say the Feds were getting pissed that I wasn't talking. I know they can't be trusted. I'm not giving anyone up," I growled back.

The guy smirked and chuckled. "She's got some fire in her." He rubbed his face like he was thinking about something. "What about when kids need to go to school?"

"They have online courses. They can get them that way," Edward answered.

"Edward, any kids you have will be at risk. They'll be trapped out here with you," he pointed out sadly, and he was right.

We were all quiet for a while, and then Edward finally broke the silence. "Then let me go. Erase everything, like I never existed. Make me someone completely different and let me go."

"You'll have no one, you won't be able to contact anyone, ever, and I don't even think that's possible with the way Ann Marie and Elizabeth go after you."

"They'll understand."

"I've already killed you twice!"

"No one's found me yet. Kill me off before they do, and rewrite me as a man with a wife. No one will be looking for that. Just send me away a married man, and I'll be safe."

"I don't…I can't…let me think on it, alright." He headed for the front door. "I'll let you know what's up as soon as I figure it out." He let out a deep breath and looked at Edward sadly. "I don't want to give you up. You're all I've got left of your mother. You're my baby boy." The man patted Edward's cheek and then pulled him into a hug. "If you do this…" He squeezed Edward and then stepped back, taking a deep breath. "Let me look into it. I'll get in touch with you when I make my decision." He patted Edward's shoulder and looked over at me. "You better be right about this, Edward. You fuck this up, it'll start a war. Both of your families will be caught in the fight. They could die. Are you sure about this? Is she worth the risk?"

"Yes, and you can trust her. I swear."

I held his gaze, not flinching. I knew I had to prove I was strong. He smirked at me, "You're dead if you step out of line, you hear me?"

"That's never going to happen," I promised, taking Edward's hand, "Never."


	28. Chapter 28

**Dollybigmomma did her business all over this chapter.**

**Chapter 28 – Family Tree Pruning**

When we heard the telltale crackle of the gravel, letting us know the psycho had left, I collapsed. I'd been running on adrenalin, and now that he was gone, it hit me all at once. I was a shaking crying mess, and Edward was pulling me into his arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I swear I thought he knew. I swear I thought he did." He pulled out his phone, and I wondered if he was going to call 911, but he didn't. "Ann Marie, he knows. Anthony knows she's out here. He was gonna kill her. I'm sorry. I told him you sent her. She wasn't gonna talk. She wasn't gonna give you up. I had to, I'm so sorry. He was gonna kill her." Edward nodded his head yes, and I heard him sniffle. "Okay, I'm sorry." He hid his face in my hair. "I love you, too."

He hung up and looked down at me worried. His eyes focused on my cheek. I realized it was throbbing and hurt like hell, along with the hand and knee I'd fallen on. He scooped me up and set me on the bed. "Just stay here, I'll get you some ice."

He rushed out of the room, and I wondered what the hell had just happened. I didn't know who the hell that guy was, but from what I could glean from their conversation, he was Edward's father. I needed some answers, and Edward had better give them to me without a fight.

He brought the ice pack in for my face and went right to talking. "I'm so sorry. When I looked at the papers last night, I saw Ann Marie had included some online colleges. I also came across our marriage certificate, but I don't think she even knew about that. It was in the middle of your financial papers. I don't know why Victor wrote it up, but I suspect he thought this might happen. It really was the only thing that saved you."

I shifted the ice on my cheek and he grimaced. "I thought he knew you were here. I swear I did. There's no way I would've called him out here otherwise. When I realized he didn't know you were here, I knew Ann had sent you out to keep you safe. She wouldn't have ever compromised my position." He shook his head, "She knew you had to want me, to fall in love with me, or you'd be killed. It was your only way to live, and we didn't know it."

I pushed myself up to a sitting position and winced. My hand was sore, but I didn't think it was broken or sprained. Edward looked so pained when he saw me flinch while using it. I wasn't going to let the pain distract me, though. I needed answers. "Who was that man? He said you were his son. I thought the man that came to your party was you father. His name is Edward, you're Edward Junior, and you look just like him. The only difference was your eyes."

"I have my father's eyes." I thought he was going to finally talk, but he didn't.

"Tell me what the hell is going on, Edward!" I cringed. Shouting made my face hurt.

"He's my father. Mr. Anthony Volturi, _the_ Mr. Volturi, is my father. Marcus Senior is my older brother, but we have different mothers. My mother, Tanya, was a goomah. Anthony, my real father, was in love with her, but he was stuck in an arranged marriage and couldn't hide her with his wife, Sophia, and their kids. There was something going on with a rival family. Tanya's spot was given up by someone. I think he suspected it was his wife, and she was also dead a month later. At that time, Marcus senior was seventeen, the oldest of their three boys. I don't think he ever connected the dots that our mothers only died a month apart. He was never very swift like that, and they didn't know specifically what our father did for a living at the time. Even so, it was twelve years later that I was found the first time, and it came out that I was Big Boss Anthony Volturi's son. The only people who knew I was his son were my father, Anthony, my Uncle Ed, and his wife, my Aunt Elizabeth. My mother, Tanya Masen, was Edward Masen Senior's sister, and Elizabeth's sister-in-law.

"Three days before my mother, Tanya, was killed, my Aunt Elizabeth was in a near-fatal car accident. They were both pregnant at the same time, and my aunt's unborn son died. The Masen's were in a bind, they needed money. They weren't well off, and the mounting hospital bills were going to wipe them out. When Anthony saw my Uncle Ed pacing the halls, he recognized him. He knew Ed was Tanya's family, my mother's brother.

"My mother, Tanya, had been brought in, her death imminent from bleeding out. My father and uncle cried together over her, and the state of Elizabeth. When the doctor announced that Tanya had died, but I'd been saved, Uncle Ed was there. Anthony was devastated over losing my mother, but overjoyed that they'd saved me, though he knew he couldn't take me home to his wife. He'd also heard the sad news of the Masen's losing their baby. That was when he asked them to take me in his place. Tanya's baby was pronounced dead, and Edward Masen Junior was alive. I looked a lot like my mother, so passing me off as Ed's son was easy. The only thing I got from my father was…"

"His eyes," I cut him off, "You both have the same eyes."

He nodded. "They suspected that was what caused people to dig into things and find out I wasn't really Ed's son. I was taken at twelve and used as leverage. They'd double crossed Anthony when they'd done that with my mother, Tanya, so he developed a no-tolerance policy. Everyone involved was killed. I was sent back to the Masen's and hidden again, until another attempt was made when I was fourteen. After that, I was sent to live with their oldest daughter, Ann Marie.

"The Masen's didn't want me to get lost in their crowd of children, so they assigned Ann Marie specifically to care for me when Elizabeth didn't have me with her. I was already very close to Ann Marie before she married Marcus.

"After the second attempt on my life when I was fourteen, I was moved to Ann Marie and Marcus's home. I was passed off as Ann Marie's illegitimate child. I was watched over by my father's goons. They already had security on their house, so it didn't look suspicious. I got to know my father during that time. He could visit and not draw any extra attention to me, since I lived with his eldest son, who'd gone into the family business.

"Anthony told me all about my mother, so when I was eighteen, I looked into her. That was what set off the third attempt to take me. This place out here was developed as a more secure way to hide me. I wouldn't be around anyone, and I'm completely off the grid. On top of that, my father had my name changed. I was no longer Edward Masen, I was Edward…"

"Cullen, you're Edward Cullen." Edward jumped off the bed like I was a snake. "I saw it on some mail. It was under your keyboard, and the wind blew it out. I didn't know why your name was Edward Cullen, but I suspected it had something to do with you hiding out here."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I knew you'd freak out. I only found out two days ago, and you were on edge already, acting all distant and weird. I didn't want to add to it."

He paced back and forth, and I finally stopped him. "Are we really married?"

"Yeah, we are. The marriage license is in your trust papers. I found it last night. I don't think Ann Marie knew, otherwise she wouldn't have let Marky come out here; he'd never been out here before. She knew the only way to protect you was if you married one of us and became part of the family."

I felt sick to my stomach. How I'd acted with Marky was bad enough, but to do it as a married woman. It made me want to puke.

"Bella, are you alright?"

I burst into tears, an emotional mess as I shook my head no.

His face fell as he took a few tentative steps toward me. When he saw I wasn't going to pull away from him, he gathered me up in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," I cried. "I didn't know we were married. I wouldn't have let him anywhere near me." I pressed my hand into my stomach, trying to settle it. "I swear I'd never cheat on you. I swear, never," I sobbed.

"I know," he whispered into my hair like he was relieved. I was worried that he questioned my loyalty as his girl, as his wife.

"When I saw that, I knew you wouldn't be able to go back to Saint Mary's. I was going to ask my father if there was a way to keep that under wraps so you could attend. As my wife, you should've had the rights to a security detail. You would've been protected, but he didn't know anything. He didn't know we were married. He wasn't involved in you coming out here at all. I should have known better. I'm so sorry."

We sat quietly for a while, letting it all sink in. Before, we'd thought we had been set up, but now I knew that Ann Marie wasn't just setting me up, she was pushing me to marry someone, anyone. The only thing that would save me was to be married to someone in the family, she knew that, and apparently Edward was the only candidate after Marky. I'd have to thank her for not telling us. I think the pressure would have ruined everything, but not knowing gave us the chance to grow a real relationship. At least I thought it was real.

"Edward, I was listening."

He scrunched his brow at me.

"When he came in, I went into the bathroom and listened through the wall." He sat there silently, waiting for me to continue. "Did you mean it?" I worried that he'd just said he loved me to keep his dad at bay.

"What?"

"I heard you tell your dad that you loved me."

His cheeks turned bright red, and he looked away from me.

"If you didn't…"

He peeked at me, "Do you want me to mean it?"

"Only if you really do."

He let out a relieved breath. "You really want me to?"

"Yeah, I'd really like that."

He pulled me into a tight hug, hiding his face in my neck. "Yeah, I meant it."

"Me, too," I added shyly.

"You, too?" He didn't sound sure.

I shrugged, "Yeah…you know…me, too," I fumbled over it, scared to say the words.

He swallowed hard, "So you…you know…me?"

He looked so cute trying to ask, it gave me the courage to say the words, "Yeah, I love you, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah." I decided to be bold and do what I'd wanted to do for some time now. I kissed him, smack on the lips. It took a moment, but he finally gave in and kissed me back. It stayed chaste, because I didn't think Edward was ready for tongue yet.

When I pulled back, he rested his head on mine and chuckled, "Wow, that's cool."

"Yes, it is." I shifted the ice back up to my cheek, and he frowned.

"Let me get you some painkillers and you lay down. I'll make some lunch while you rest." He kissed my forehead after he tucked me in and disappeared into the kitchen once I was medicated.

I woke up much later to an arm over my waist and Edward's face pressed into my shoulder. He had curled himself around me in his sleep, and it felt nice.

I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, he was standing next to the bed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was trying to ice your cheek while you slept, but I guess I dozed off," he pointed to the melted ice pack on the bed.

I shrugged. "It's okay, Edward, we're married. Sharing a bed isn't unheard of," I teased.

He blushed and shrugged at me. "Well, you know…we can."

My grin was huge and hurt my face, but I couldn't stop it. "That'd be nice. I think I'd like to share with you. It felt nice to cuddle."

He cleared his throat, "Cool, yeah, that's…yeah," he fumbled over his words.

My stomach growled, thankfully changing the subject. "Is there any lunch left?"

"Yes, I put the sandwiches in the fridge, so we could eat together. Do you need more pain pills?" he asked looking at his watch. "You can take two more after lunch, or I guess early dinner, or should this be lunch and then we have a late dinner? Late dinner is alright, we can have a late lunch and a late dinner or…"

"Edward, let's go eat." I took his hand and pulled him out of the bedroom. I felt him squeeze mine, and I looked back at him and smiled. He was so damn cute, and he was mine. He really was mine.


	29. Chapter 29

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 29 – Brakes**

After our late dinner, we played one game of chess. I think we were both nervous, and I was pretty sure Edward was going to back out on the whole bed sharing thing. I had a plan, though, and I hoped it would work.

I sent him to get ready for bed first, while I cleaned up from dinner and chess. When he came out, I went in and took a shower myself. Once I was dressed, I opened the bedroom door and waited for him to come in. When he walked in, I slid under the covers, lying down where I had slept earlier.

He sat on the far side of the bed, with his eyes focused on the blanket.

"Edward, are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just…I was thinking." He cleared his throat and started again. "The paper, it says we're married, and I'm happy to be married, but I wondered if you were really okay with it. Even if we did it for real, I mean if we bought a marriage license ourselves and signed it, we wouldn't be able to do it in a church. I couldn't bring that much attention to myself, and then to have you there with me. It'd be even worse," he grimaced. "What I'm trying to ask is…do you accept it? I mean, being my wife. We're legally married, but I wanted to know if you thought we were."

I rolled onto my side and took his hand in mine. "I don't have any family. My parents aren't speaking to me, so it'd be just me and you and your family. I would've preferred the whole official eternally-binding church ceremony, but this is good, too. I'm okay with the way things happened. Maybe later, if it's safe, after we settle in again, we could try to do that. I know we couldn't have any family with us, but maybe just the two of us?"

He nodded yes, but looked worried. "I think…well, I don't know for sure, but I think your parents were led to believe you're dead."

That made me sit up, shocked. "What? Why would they think that?"

"Most likely because that was your fate. My cousins probably staged your death and lied, saying you were dead, that they'd carried out the order."

"You really believe your father planned to kill me before I came out here?"

"I know he did. He doesn't like loose ends. He's a bit paranoid, but that's actually a good thing in his line of work. He's always warned me that you can't read other people's minds, so it's important that I stay hidden. I can't trust anyone. You don't know what's going on in someone else's head, or if they're planning to double cross you…he didn't know you. He didn't trust you, and he most likely didn't want to risk you knowing more than you let on. You were dead as soon as he found out that you'd met the family and stepped into their home."

I was stunned, but after meeting Anthony, I believed Edward. I was thankful that Ann Marie and Victor had saved me and did it in such a way that I didn't even know I was in trouble. I lay back down, snuggling into the pillow.

I heard Edward clear his throat, "Bella?"

"Yeah?" I looked over at him, waiting for his response.

"Are you mad we're married, now that you know everything?"

I had to get it through this man's head that I wasn't upset and that I was happy. I decided to do it in such a way that would be fun for the both of us. I grabbed hold of him and kissed him with all my might. I pinned that boy to the bed and practically ate his face off. I stopped short of humping his leg and pulled back to see his stunned face. He was panting hard, but finally broke into a smile. I grinned back at him, "I'm really happy to be your wife. It's time for bed now, husband." I snuggled down into his arms with a split-faced grin.

"Yeah…yeah…" he panted, sounding a little dazed. I think my point was made.

I woke up early, needing to pee badly. I looked down at my waist and could see why. Edward's arm was wrapped around me tightly. I glanced at his clock, and it was an hour before we usually got up. I squirmed out of his arms and took care of business. When I walked back in, Edward was lying face down on my side of the bed. It was going to be a challenge to get back in. I squeezed onto the little sliver of bed he'd left me and tried to worm my way back under his arm. Even in his sleep, he figured out what I was doing and was quick to tuck me back against him. It felt so nice to be held in his arms. I wondered if I'd be able to get him to hold me for no reason at all. I'd love to just snuggled up to him. The thought of sitting with him by the fire made me want to be closer with him, so I wiggled around until I could get my arm around him and squeezed him tighter to me. He tucked his face into my neck and let out a contented hum. I silently prayed that he hadn't set the alarm.

No such luck, an hour later his alarm went off, but because of the way we were tangled, he couldn't really move to turn it off. He looked down at me, unsure of himself, but I gave him a big smile, "Morning, husband."

He blushed and shifted me in his arms, but didn't let go. He finally turned off the alarm, but didn't move to get out of bed. I snuggled deeper into his side to show my approval. He didn't say anything, just laid there. His fingers tickled my arm and then my shoulder, and finally tangled themselves in my hair. He lay there, silently playing with my hair, not saying a word, and made no move to get up.

I was pretty sure I dozed off again, and only woke when I felt the bed shift and heard the bathroom door shut. I flopped over on Edward's side of the bed and stretched out.

When I heard him enter the room, I peeked at him. He looked over at me nervously. "I…uh…I…" he pointed at the bedroom door.

"I know, you have to work, but I wish I could keep you in bed all day."

He smiled and blushed. I stretched like a cat in the bed and noticed his eyes lingering on my chest. I'd have to forget my night bra this evening. I'd bet he'd notice that. I walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "Off to work. I'm going to take a shower."

He nodded, smiling widely, and rushed out of the room. I liked being his wife. I felt like I could be more affectionate with him and get away with it. Maybe if I touched him, he'd work up the courage to touch me back.

When I came out dressed, I noticed that he only had a cup of juice on his desk as he worked. There were no dishes in the sink and no food out. I had a feeling he'd gone straight to working to try and catch up on things.

I made breakfast for us, or rather brunch, because it was so late. Once I had it ready and the table set, I decided to get his attention by rubbing his shoulders and kissing his neck. He shifted at his desk and let out a moan that he was clearly trying to hold back. He grabbed my hands and pulled them over his shoulders, making me hug him. I kissed his cheek and then boldly went for his lips. When I pulled away, I told him breakfast was ready.

"Just give me a minute," he pointed to his screen, but he barely touched his keyboard when I walked away. I saw him shift in his seat, taking a few deep breaths. He was trying to keep things under control, which was okay for now, but come bedtime, he was going to give in to me a little more.

He spent most of the day working, but would glance over his shoulder, offering me a smile now and again. That was a new development, and I liked it.

After dinner, we sat on the porch swing, and he showed me how to get a mockingbird to match your whistle. It was freaking awesome, the way he and the bird went back and forth, talking to each other. I had to work on my whistling, so I could play with them, too.

Tonight he had me shower first and he second, but didn't hesitate to invite me into the bedroom. I snuggled right into his arms, and just as he was settling in, I moved up his body and stole a kiss. When I pulled back, his eyes were still focused on my lips, and I went in for a few more. Things quickly got out of hand, and when I settled down on him, he felt my unrestrained breasts press onto his chest. He shifted one knee up and let out a moan. His hands gripped my sides hard, and he finally released my lips with a gasp. He had yet to grind against me, but I felt his wishful thinking pressed along my thigh. I moved against it, and he rolled us over so I was under him. I was excited, thinking more would happen, but he pulled away, confusing me.

"Do you not want more, husband?" I hoped mentioning his titled would encourage him to give in, but he made no move to go further.

"I do, but…" His lips found mine again, yet he still didn't drop his hips against mine. "I still need some time," he confessed, before he pulled away completely.

I had suspected he was a virgin and didn't want me to push him. Alright, I'd admit that I _sooo_ wanted to push him, but I restrained myself like a good wife. If it had been me on the virginal receiving end, I'd want to take things slow, too.

He kissed on my neck and face a little before finally pulling away. I wasn't letting him get away from me, though. I snuggled into his side, hooking my leg across his. I knew we'd be a tangled mess again when we woke, and I was looking forward to it.

In the middle of the night, I woke up to him wiggling around. I realized that he was having a very nice dream and debated whether or not I should take initiative and touch him. I finally decided it'd be alright if I did it over his PJs. I just hoped he wouldn't get upset.

I carefully rubbed my hand up and down his length, making him squirm more and press into my hand. I kissed on his neck, unable to reach his lips. His arms wrapped around me, his hand wandering dangerously close to my breast. I was hoping he'd be braver in his sleep and go for it. He started grunting as I upped my efforts, but I knew he hadn't released yet. He woke suddenly, his hand landing on mine, and his eyes fixated on my face.

"Hey," I said with a cheeky grin.

He chuckled and leaned down, kissing my lips softly, before he climbed out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. He frustrated me to no end. I flopped onto my back and covered my face with his pillow, embarrassed as hell.

He came back in and pulled the pillow away from my face. He kissed my lips lightly before he spoke. "Your face is still bruised, and it's making me feel horrible. You just found out that my father is a crime boss and wanted you dead. I want you to get to know me, and what my life was like, a little better. I want you to know the real me, the boy who was kidnapped, then locked away. I want you to take a step back and fully understand how much danger you're really in. I want you, I want all of you, but I don't think we're ready yet. There are still a few things to clear up before we go any further."

I blushed, ashamed of myself. "Sorry, I've wanted you for so long, and then to find out you're my husband, and it's really not sinful to want you, it's made it difficult to hold back."

He gently caressed my bruised cheek and kissed it lightly, "Just a little more time, beautiful."

I could see where he was coming from and agreed. I was also very curious about what had happened to him. I looked forward to hearing about it, and I was nervous about hearing what had gone on in his life at the same time. I had a feeling I'd learn why he didn't go into the family business as well. He had a weird love-hate relationship with his family. I hoped the whole mess of his past wouldn't interfere too much with our progress. I knew it would be slow, but I was ready to beg to keep things moving.


	30. Chapter 30

**Dollybigmomma did her beta thing all over this.**

I signed up to donate a one shot to Fandom forLeukemia &** Lymphoma **Society.Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Chapter 30 – Story Time**

Edward was very quiet. It wasn't our usual peaceful quiet, this was tense. He'd worn a tight grimace on his face all day, and I was really starting to worry. I had tried to engage him in conversation over lunch and dinner, but I only received a tight throat clearing and mumbled one-word answers.

Before he went to take a shower, I stopped him. "Are you okay?"

He took a deep breath, "Yeah, just trying to figure out a way to tell you my story."

"Take your time." I hugged him and kissed his shoulder, because that was what I could reach. He squeezed me back and thanked me, before he slipped off to the bathroom.

Not a word was said when he came out, dressed for bed. He nodded at me, letting me know it was my turn to get ready. I realized the story he was going to tell me wasn't going to be a nice one, and I hoped that I'd be able to give him the support I knew he'd need.

He was sitting stiffly on the couch when I came out. I knew he probably expected to talk to me there, but I knew our bed would be easier to comfort him in. "Come to bed," I called to him. He looked like he might protest, but I stopped him. "I want to hold you while you talk."

His eyes tightened, and he took a deep breath, as if he was trying to keep things under control. We moved silently to the bed, and he sat back against the headboard. I curled up next to him, nearly in his lap, with my arms wrapped tightly around his waist. We sat in silence, but I knew this wasn't something that could be forced out of him.

He finally spoke. "I was a Masen for the first twelve years of my life without question. I was my mother's son, Elizabeth was my mom. I looked like my father, Edward Senior, I was his son. I was the son they'd brought home from the hospital. No one ever questioned it. No one knew outside of them, not even me, that I was really their nephew. I looked like my father, so I didn't believe a word the kidnappers said when they took me. They called my mother horrible names, different theories were thrown out, affairs, prostitution, all manner of claims that would change my parentage, but I didn't understand any of them. I was Edward Masen Junior, named after my father, the father I looked like. I was sure they were insane, and I was going to die.

"Then they started to threaten Vanessa. They said they had her, too. They said she wasn't worth as much as me, and if I gave them any trouble, they'd hurt her."

My chest grew so tight, I couldn't inhale. He must have seen the panic in my eyes. "They didn't have her. They just wanted to make me talk, make me confess that I was Anthony Volturi's son, but I didn't know I was, so I couldn't confess. I didn't know the lie they'd hidden from everyone, even me. My being Anthony's son was a wild guess, just an inclination some strung-out thug came up with. It was farfetched at best, but it was still right. They didn't know that, though, so they tried to beat it out of me. They wanted me to admit that Anthony was my father, but I couldn't, that wasn't something I knew at the time, and so they hit me and burned me…" He took several deep breaths and hid his face in my hair. His arms tightened around me. I squeezed him back just as hard. I didn't tell him it was okay, and I didn't push him, because it wasn't okay, and he needed to take his time.

"After a few hours of that, they brought a little girl over by my door. I couldn't see her, just part of her back. They said it was Vanessa…they said…they were going to do horrible things to her. They promised they hadn't yet, but they would if I didn't talk. I freaked…I tried to confess to save the girl, but I'd never met Anthony. I didn't know they were talking about him. When they said Volturi, I thought they were talking about Marcus. I was at his house a lot. Vanessa was his kid. It made sense in my head. I thought they'd mistaken me for his kid. I was always over there. Ann Marie liked when I'd help her out, and I liked keeping Vanessa company...we played dolls."

He chuckled, and I was thankful for the happy memories making an appearance. "She used to follow me everywhere, and I liked to cater to her. I didn't have a little brother or sister, but Vanessa was mine. She was six at the time, Marky was eight. He liked to order people around and pretend he was a big man. We never really got along. I'd tell on him if he got an attitude with his mother. That really pissed him off," he snickered. "The little bastard hated that I was bigger than him. We'd been so close when he was little. He'd follow me around and insist he was a big boy. He was about five or six when his attitude changed. He'd started school, and I think he finally noticed I was different. I didn't have all the things he did. Don't get me wrong, Ann Marie spoiled me, but I went to a public school, not private like he did.

"I was a geek. I didn't have any friends, other than Jasper, and he was only my friend because no one else would go near him. He had this huge ugly wart on his chin. It was removed, but it was there until he was a sophomore in high school. It was actually us getting our butts kicked that took it off. He got a face full of sidewalk, it was bad, but the wart was gone when his face healed. He actually thanked the jerk who did it. It was pretty damn funny."

His fingers played with my hair for a while. We held each other silently, and I let him sit, deep in thought. I knew he'd come back around to what we were talking about when he was ready.

"Luke came in, gun out, and shot the two guys in the room with me. I'd never seen a gun before, and here he was holding one and killing people, and I didn't even know he had one, or that it was his job to kill people like that. 'Only bad people' he told me. He walked me out over ten bodies, all of them dead or groaning, on their way to being dead. Tino was there, he held the little girl in his arms. She was a crying mess, and he kept looking at Luke, asking him what he was supposed to do with her. I don't want to know what happened to her. I believed for the longest time that they saved her, like they saved me, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'm too scared to ask, afraid of what the answer might be." He took a few deep breaths, and I realized I could give him hope.

"They saved me." I looked up at him, and he smiled down and kissed my forehead.

"Yeah, they did."

I squirmed up his body, thinking a reprieve was in order. I kissed his lips lightly and straddled his lap. "You're family isn't all that bad."

He grimaced, but I took his face in both my hands. "They didn't know me. They had no reason to save me, and yet they did. They even went as far as trying to secure my safety by writing up a marriage certificate. Edward, I'd only met Victor once, that day. I'd never met Caius before he drove me out here, and Tony only ever saw me when he picked up the letters from the school. I know now that I was dead. It's clear as day that I was about to be killed if I gave you any trouble, but I didn't know that then. They didn't scare me, they took care of me. They handled things the best way they could, and I'd bet they do that all the time. I don't see why that little girl would've been any different."

He frowned, and I kissed his pout. I had faith that Luke and Tino didn't hurt that little girl. I was sure of it. Especially from the way Edward told the story, with Tino holding her in his arms. I knew they'd found a way to save her. "Call him."

"What?" He looked at me like I was nuts.

"Call Luke or Tino, and ask them about that little girl."

He looked scared, but I wasn't going to let that stop him or me. I jumped off his lap and grabbed his phone from the study where it was charging. I thought about handing it to him, but decided to scroll and see if I could find Luke or Tino's names. I pulled up Luke and hit the send button, before I passed the phone to Edward.

He looked down at it worried, but spoke when Tino answered. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." He looked so worried and shy. I climbed back into his lap and rested my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, holding me in place.

I heard Luke's voice come back on the line. "Okay, kid, what's up?"

"I was…you know that little girl?"

"Little girl?" Luke had no clue what he was talking about.

"That night…" Edward just left it hanging there, and I wondered if Luke would pick it up. "When I was taken, there was a little girl."

"Clair," Luke supplied, and Edward let out a deep breath and took a few more before he started again.

"Is she okay, I mean, was she?"

"Yeah, Tino and I had Joey check her over. He wasn't a real doctor yet, but was far enough along that he knew what to look for. She was fine."

"So, she went home?"

"Yeah, that took some fancy footwork. We posed as cops, said we'd found her, and the assholes that took her were dead. They saw on the news that a warehouse had been shot out, and I think they put two and two together. It helped that Clair backed up our story, saying we'd saved her. We dropped off the planet for a few months after that. We didn't want them looking for us or asking anymore questions. We wanted to keep her having been there under wraps, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, I do."

"She's okay, Edward, we made sure of that. I think they knew better than to ask questions. I saw her mother a few months ago at the grocery store. She just smiled and nodded at me. No words, she knows to keep her mouth shut. They all do, and we didn't even have to tell them."

"Anthony wouldn't…"

"Shit with Anthony, that fuck can be paranoid, a baby girl wasn't gonna do nothing. I wasn't taking her out, just like I wasn't taking your girl out. We don't do innocent people…if they can keep their mouth shut. If they can go on with life and act like they don't know anything, because they really don't, then there's no reason to kill them. Of course, that's probably reason enough to kill me."

"No!" Edward tensed up.

"Don't worry; I'm too important to knock off, not to mention all hell would break loose in the family. The Masen's are too ingrained with the Volturi's. The girls all married their boys, our boys married their girls. If it was Alabama, you'd think it was an inbreeding mess on the verge of happening," Luke laughed. Edward hid his face in my hair as he let out a relieved laugh himself. "Everything is fine here. How's your girl doing? You get some of that yet?" he teased.

"Almost," Edward surprised me when he answered and squeezed me tighter.

"Don't let her hold you off too long."

"He's the one slowing things down!" I shouted out to Luke.

"What's the deal, little bro? You need a new box of condoms?" Luke wasn't laughing, he was dead serious.

"I just wanted to make sure. I don't know if Anthony told you, but Victor wrote up a marriage license. We're married."

"Well, get to it then. Mom will be happy to know that you ain't living in sin. Ride that girl into the sunset."

"Amen!" I shouted, and I could hear Luke laughing.

Edward surprised me by swatting my butt and laughing along, too. "Hush you."

Once we all settled down, Luke's voice became serious. "Edward, don't let anything hold you back. If she's what you want, don't stop, don't hold back. We'll keep you safe, both of you. Don't let it stop you." Somehow, he knew just what to say to Edward. I could've kissed Luke right then.

"Thank you," Edward nearly whispered in response.

"Anytime, bro."

They said their goodbyes, and Edward sat quietly, holding me in his arms. I knew he hadn't finished his story. There was still so much for him to say, but I think we'd made some real progress.

"I'm not scared, Edward. I know you think I should be, but I have faith in your family. I have faith in you, too. We're going to be just fine."

He pulled me down in the bed with him, and I knew we were done for the night. He kissed me slow and easy, and I let him lead. He palmed my backside, pulling me tightly against him as he pushed against me. I thought maybe we'd get a little farther, and I think we did, but he still stopped. He rested his head against mine, I was sure he was bracing for my complaints, but I understood now, and he was right, we needed to take our time. There was more to his story, and to mine as well.

When he finally opened his eyes, I smiled widely at him. "Goodnight, husband," I whispered.

He nodded in response, relaxing against me and settling down to sleep, "Goodnight…wife."

It was silly, really, but that one little word was filled with so much promise and joy, I couldn't wait to hear it again.


	31. Chapter 31

**SM owns it, Dollybigmomma rubs out my mistakes, I just write it…**

**Chapter 31 – Rest of the Story**

Each night, Edward would tell me another story of his life. I started to understand better the reasons for hiding him. After he had been taken at the age of twelve, they had continued the lie of his parentage. The men who had kidnapped him were all dead, and even Edward himself still believed he was the biological son of his Uncle Edward and Aunt Elizabeth.

He was sent back home with them, with the belief that no one else knew the truth. The problem was that, like the first men who had figured it out, a second set came to the same conclusion. At the age of fourteen, he was forced into a van and drugged. He was somewhat coherent and could make out that they planned to hold him hostage. He was being used as leverage once more.

The van was wrecked before it reached its destination, and Edward was taken to the hospital. The drugs had slowed his heart and thus his bleeding. He was saved. He learned that the van had been forced off the road. The men died, supposedly when the vehicle burst into flames, but Edward didn't remember any sort of fire. He was sure they had been "taken care of" by his family.

It became clear that they couldn't hide his Volturi blood. His unique eyes were a dead giveaway. The golden, nearly yellow eye color was legendary and feared. There was no hiding it, short of colored contacts, which weren't an option for a young Edward.

A new story was concocted. One that would keep him once removed from his father and slightly less important, but it would explain the reaction and response to Edward being taken.

Marcus and Ann Marie were told the truth, and to protect their little brother, biological or not, they took him in and claimed the false shame. They shouldered the scandal of a supposed illegitimate child that had been born before they were married.

Edward was moved to his brother and first cousin's home. He didn't know what to believe after that, but Anthony's interest in him became obvious, and it was finally confessed to him, at the age of fifteen, that he was the son of the big boss himself.

Even still, the truth was hidden from everyone else. It was only his Aunt Elizabeth, Uncle Edward, Cousin Ann Marie, and his brother, Marcus Volturi Sr., who knew the truth about Edward really being mob boss Anthony Volturi's son.

The threat was real, and the extra security was explained away. It made sense that Marcus, a Volturi descendant, would have people watching over them. He was safe, and Anthony did his best to find time to visit with Edward. Like any boy that grew up in lies, he wanted to know the truth. He was finally told the story about his mother, Tanya.

Anthony beat the shit out of Edward when he badmouthed his mother, calling her a whore for sleeping with a married man. He hated himself and his own existence. Marky hated him, too, and did his best to make him miserable. He didn't know why everyone took so much interest in his supposed brother, Edward, and he hated that everyone always fussed over him.

At the age of seventeen, Edward was visiting with his Aunt Elizabeth Masen, the woman he had known as his mother all his life, when a car full of men attempted to take the house. They shot out the windows, and a bullet grazed his Aunt Elizabeth.

His brothers, or rather cousins, Daniel and David Masen, were home at the time. They shot back, and when it looked like they weren't going to win, they grabbed Edward and threw him out a window and told them to take him.

Luke saved Edward again that day and took two bullets doing it. David and Daniel were punished by the Volturi. They'd had it out for Edward ever since. They had figured out that Edward wasn't Marcus's son, as Ann Marie hadn't met Marcus until six months after Edward had been born.

Word of Edward got back to the other two younger Volturi sons, Aro and Demetri, whom Anthony had had with his wife, Sofia. Edward was seen as a threat. Only one of the four Volturi sons could take over the family business. It quickly became obvious that Anthony favored Edward over his other three boys. Edward was the youngest and the only child of the woman he had actually loved.

David and Daniel worked for Demetri at the time and gave up Edward's position several times, in hopes of being promoted by Demetri when he took over as mob boss. It got to the point that Edward wasn't allowed to leave Marcus's side, further instigating Marky's dislike for Edward.

Marky finally learned the truth when he picked a fight with Edward while Anthony was visiting. He thought he could prove that he was the stronger boy and therefore more deserving of the attention and respect of his grandfather. He only got so far, before Anthony pulled a gun on Marky. Marcus and Ann Marie were barely able to calm him down enough to save their son. Ultimately, it was Edward refusing to step out of the way that stopped Anthony from killing Marky outright.

In anger, Anthony had yelled at Marky to never touch his son again, and so Marky was brought into the circle of people who knew Edward's parentage. He was also told of the threats against Edward's life. Edward talked to Marky about some of the stuff that had happened to him and how he missed his mom, or his Aunt Elizabeth, and wished he could just go home to the Masen's. He didn't want anything to do with his Volturi family, and Marky understood. He went from hating Edward to pitying him.

Marky also knew the importance of keeping Edward's identity under wraps. It was no secret to Marky that his Grandmother Elizabeth had been threatened and shot at, and he knew his family could fall under attack just the same.

It was only after Edward had made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with the family business that the rest of the family backed off. He'd had the opportunity to become anything. He could've been a crooked lawyer like Victor, a doctor that treated patients off the record like Joey, a businessman that would run a strip joint or club as a front for illegal dealings like Tony, an accountant that could fix the books, hide illegal profits and be a bookie like David and Daniel. He could've been a mechanic and dealt with stolen cars like Tino. He could've gone into construction and strong-armed zonings for businesses, provided the means to make people disappear, and built the hiding places for the whole damn mob, like Caius. He also could've gone into sales with Luke, who dealt in stolen goods and organized robberies, where it was his job to come up with the latest scheme.

Instead, Edward went into computer programming, with the intent of being useless to the family. He was only asked once if he had hacking abilities, and he made it clear that he didn't. Edward wanted nothing to do with the family business, and after years of saying it, he was finally able to prove it by his career choice.

At eighteen, Edward had wanted to know more about his birth mother, Tanya, and looked up her records. They were traced back to him, and another attempt was made on him. He was able to hold off his attackers/would-be kidnappers long enough for the guard watching him to call for backup to save him. It was Tino that had saved him that day, with the help of the two men that had been watching Edward. One guard didn't make it out, and Tino took a bullet in the shoulder.

The threat from Aro and Demetri lessened, but Edward was obviously still a target to others. His parentage was in the open to the wrong people. Edward told Anthony that he wanted to disappear more than anything, and Anthony made it happen. Edward was finally able to be hidden away from everyone, so he could finally have some peace. He was off the grid, with a different name, in the middle of nowhere. He was finally safe.

Saturday, I was stretched lazily in our bed. I think we had both come to the conclusion that the bed was undeniable ours now, not just his. I flopped across his chest, and neither of us made to move.

Where he spoke at night, I spoke in the morning. I not only needed to get to know him, but he needed to know me. So after our morning routines, we would snuggle up in bed, and I would talk about my life and why it was so easy for me to believe that my parent didn't want anything to do with me anymore.

"I was a mistake, most likely a drunken one if you went by my mother's track record. My parents married, but I remember from a young age that there was always contention between the two of them. They seem trapped in the rolls of what was expected of them, and it made them miserable.

"My mother stayed home to care for me, and she did, for the most part. I never went without. I did learn how to care for myself at a young age. By four, I could make myself a PB&J sandwich with practiced ease. I was able to wash my own cup and get my own drinks. I was as self-sufficient as a young child could be. At the age of six, I was doing my own laundry. The more I did for myself, the happier my mother was. I could tell, because she was always more at ease. She spent time cleaning the house, but she also had a good appreciation for wine.

"My father didn't yell at her at first. They lived in the house, but it was like they didn't see each other. They didn't even treat each other like roommates. They were invisible to each other, and I think by accident, I became invisible, too.

"I didn't realize that wasn't normal, that families didn't go about ignoring each other. The fighting started when I was five. I had hurt myself. It was just a cut, more like a scrape, but it wasn't taken care of. It wasn't cleaned out, and it became infected. I think I developed some sort of staff infection. It got bad, and one day after my father got home from work, I showed it to him. He was livid, not with me, but my mother, for letting it go unchecked for so long. I ended up spending a couple of nights in the hospital for it. After that, my parents fought like mad. My mother resented me and drank a whole lot more. It wasn't long after I got home from the hospital that I ran away to get away from the tension in the house. I didn't know it was tension, I just knew that my mommy didn't want me anymore, and I wanted to leave, so I did.

"I'd lived across the street from St. Mary's my whole life. I always saw older kids running around it, and so when I ran away, I decided that I'd go there, too. I packed up my little backpack and marched my little five-year-old self over to the school. Principal Stewart was a teacher then, and he found me on the front steps. I told him where I lived and that I was moving in with him at the school.

"He said my mommy and daddy would miss me, but my mother proved him wrong. We sat on the front steps of the school waiting. He was so sure that she'd come out frantic, looking for me. She came out an hour later and left for the store, not even glancing across the street at me.

"My father came home shortly after that and noticed me sitting with Mr. Stewart. They stepped away from me for a few minutes, and both men talked low, but I could tell my dad was furious.

"He stormed off toward home, and Mr. Stewart had to walk me across the street, because I couldn't keep up with my dad. When he heard my dad shouting for my mom, Mr. Stewart had me wait outside. My mother had come home while the men were talking, and my father was yelling so loudly, you could hear it loud and clear from the sidewalk.

"My dad dragged my mother out of the house and threw her into the car. He asked Mr. Stewart to keep an eye on me and then just left. I'm pretty sure my dad took my mom to either rehab or a mental hospital, because she didn't come home with him. She was gone for nearly a month. My grandma watched me while my dad was at work.

"After my mom came home, I took to sneaking out to get away. I was only six, but elementary school got out a half hour after the high school. Instead of going home, I'd go to Mr. Stewart's window. It was at the front of the school by the steps. I'm pretty sure that's how he'd found me the first time.

"I'd wave to him through the window, and he'd have me come in and sit with his detention group. I'd do my homework, and he'd keep an eye on the delinquents.

"He used to tease me, saying I'd spent so much time in detention that I'd never get in trouble if I acted up. I loved Mr. Stewart, so I never did.

"He was principal by the time I reached high school. He's the reason I did so well in my classes. He was always really busy as principal, but I was a student aid and able to see him around.

"He tried to get the Feds out of the school and away from me. He changed my schedule and walked me to class more than once. He was so mad when I got burned. I think that's why he didn't send security after Marcus when he went to beat up that psycho. He just called the cops to remove the Feds from campus. I didn't see the agent, but judging by the amount of blood Marcus was wearing, knowing none of it was his, I was sure he'd got what he deserved. I know for a fact that Principal Stewart didn't reprimand Marcus in any way for the fight.

"He's the reason I was so sure I could get back in at St. Mary's. I know he'd let me back in, in a heartbeat. I guess that doesn't matter anymore, though. I hope he doesn't think I'm dead. I know it would make him feel horrible."

Edward had been tracing my scars as I spoke. "I can ask what the cover story is. I don't think you can go back to school, though."

He could tell I was upset. I didn't necessarily want to leave him to go back to school, but I would've liked to have said goodbye to Principal Stewart. He'd always looked after me.

Edward sensed my turmoil and pulled me closer to him. We kissed slowly and languidly, like we had so many times. When things would get tough, we'd kiss and snuggle.

It had been getting deeper and more intense the past few times. At this point, I had him straddled and was rubbing against him without any protest from him. My hands gripped and pulled at him, trying to get closer to his body.

He had flipped me over the night before and pinned me to the bed, kissing me intensely. He shifted and did the same today. I wouldn't release him, and I felt rather than heard his compliance. His hand started up my shirt, and he didn't bother asking for permission, because I was just as on edge.

We had still yet to have sex, and I knew we wouldn't today, either, but we were getting closer. I could tell. My whole body was visibly engaged and begging. He'd slow down once I was distracted from my bad memory. Today was a little more heated than usual. I couldn't wait for the day he'd completely give in.


	32. Chapter 32

**Beta'd by Dollybigmomma**

**Chapter 32 – Holy Hell**

The nighttime stories continued, but now they were happy ones. Edward talked about his family, living with the Masen's and how much he loved them. His family was full of jokers. Even his mom/Aunt Elizabeth liked to pull fast ones on the kids. That explained his patience, instead of anger, when I'd messed with his things. His family took April Fool's Day very seriously. I asked him why he didn't play any on me.

"You were still pretty quiet at that time. I didn't want to upset you or do anything that would make you want to go home. I already suspected then that you had to stay with me."

The light mood went somber, and I snuggled into his side. "Was that really why you were so patient with me?"

He kissed the top of my head, "No, you honestly didn't try my patience. Now my resolve…" he rolled over on top of me, making me break out into a huge grin.

"I definitely want to break your resolve," I whispered against his lips. We'd already spent a month kissing and making out, morning and night. He had touched my breasts and rubbed against me, but he never touched below the belt and always got out of bed when things got too heated.

He was all over my upper half and had me dying for more. When he went to leave the bed, I grabbed his arm with both of my hands. He could have pulled away easily otherwise.

"Edward, what's stopping you?"

"I think I want us to get married for real."

"You said the certificate was real."

"I know, but I want you to want to marry me."

I got mischievous and hit the back of his knee as I yanked him toward the bed. He flopped down with an oomph, and I jumped on him, pinning _him_ to the bed for once. I realized he always did this, so he'd have the control over when we stopped. "You're my husband, Edward. Legally…and there's nothing I want more than to be your wife. You're mine. I've played by your rules, I've told you about my life, and I know all about you. I want you; now give it up, boy."

He looked up at me wide-eyed and then started laughing. In one smooth move, he had me pinned to the bed. "You, little girl, are definitely trying my resolve."

"We're married, I want to claim my marital rights," I huffed.

"This isn't the 1800's, you can't demand that."

"Then you demand it."

"Bella, if we consummate our marriage, then we can't get it annulled."

I felt like he'd slapped me. I shoved him off me and stormed out of the room. He wanted to get our marriage annulled. Those few words ripped me apart, and I really, really wished that I could just up and walk away right now, but I was trapped here by his family. There was no getting out, there was no leaving.

"Bella…"

I put my hand up, fighting my tears. I didn't want to hear anything he had to say. I went to the study and yanked the hide-a-bed out of the chair.

"Bella, please…"

"NO, stop…just…please, just leave me alone," I struggled to keep it together.

"Let me…"

"NO, don't."

I heard him let out a huff, and I spun on him angrily. "I'm not a whore. I know I must seem like one, since I confessed everything to you about Mike and Marcus, but I really thought I had something special with them. I thought…" I shook my head; of course he thought I was a whore. "Marcus treated me differently than the other girls. I told you that. He's a villainous asshole, and I'm glad he got his nuts chopped, but at the time, he treated me differently, and I thought he loved me. I know better now. It was the same with Mike, and I was wrong with both of them. You know I was wrong, so is this the way you've decided to tell me I'm wrong again? That you don't love me, that your sweet words are just lies? Because if it is, it really sucks, and I wish you'd just leave me the fuck alone!" I shouted the last part, unable to hold back my rampant tears. I really wished I had a door to slam in his face.

He had backed up out of the study, and he was looking at me wide-eyed. "I…I…uh…" His brow furrowed and his frown deepened. "No," he nearly whispered, and I almost didn't hear him over my sobs. "That's not…" he let out a huff, "I'm not saying that."

I curled up in a ball in the stupid little bed. It felt like a rock compared to his. I had the blankets wrapped up around me, only leaving my face to peek out a little to stare at the wall.

"Bella," I felt his hand on my back, and I wanted to shake him off, but I cried harder instead. "I wanted to give you a church wedding. We have to get it annulled if we're going to get married in the church. You know that. I wanted to give it to you. I thought it was what you wanted."

I buried my face in my pillow.

"I want to use my christened name, not Cullen, and do it in the church. I want to make sure God knows you're mine. I want more than till death do us part. I don't want to part." His voice was getting more strained. "It doesn't have to be a big wedding. I know you don't want a big wedding, but I thought you'd like one all the same. Don't girls want that stuff? At least the dress…my sisters all went nuts over their dresses."

I rolled over and took in his distressed face. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He had me up in his arms and crushed to his chest in seconds. His face was hidden in my hair, and he was breathing hard, like he was holding back tears. "No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I thought I could surprise you. I didn't mean to make you…I love you, I do." His arms tightened around me, and he lifted me, carrying me back to our room, back to bed. He tucked me in and wrapped himself around me, as if he was afraid I'd disappear. "I know you can't leave me, but I don't want you to want to leave," he whispered in my hair.

"I don't want to leave," I peeked up at him, "Ever."

He let out a sigh of relief and nuzzled into me like he did every night before we went to sleep. I didn't know what the hell was wrong with me. I should've known better than to question Edward's feeling for me. He loved me. I knew he loved me. I hated that my insecurities had gotten the better of me and ruined the evening.

The next day, we were on the front porch, kissing slow and easy. I wasn't trying to push to get it heated anymore. I was just taking what he'd give me. We heard the telling crunch of tires on the road and looked up to see Anthony parking his car.

"God knows if you're fucking her, Son. You can't hide that from Him, even if you're hiding it from the priest."

"We're not."

"No worries, I got your annulment papers right here. You can fuck her brains out now and be a sinner that does a few Hail Mary's. I slicked a few Holy palms to make sure this goes through." He grinned at me, but I didn't like the look in his eyes. There was an undercurrent of disapproval and hatred. I think Edward felt it, too, because he tucked me behind him a little. "You're doing it at Marky's wedding. We'll all be there already, no one will suspect a thing, and the place will be crawling with guards. You keep your mouth shut about who you are. You're wearing contacts to hide them eyes. Joey will have them ready for you when you get there. You're going by George and Candace and sitting on the bride's side. You're Lisa Marie's distant cousins. Pick them up a toaster or something."

Edward nodded in agreement.

Anthony seemed to get more pissed all of the sudden. "Ann is gonna have some dresses. You don't fucking let her bring them out here. No one is allowed out here!" he shouted at Edward. "If that bitch comes anywhere near here…"

"Dad…" he started.

"She could've been followed. You want that? You want that you'd be taken, and her and Ann as well? You say you love them, but you're acting like it's bullshit. Don't fuck with me, boy. You do as I say and nothing more."

I was full-on hiding behind Edward now. He nodded in agreement with his father. Anthony slapped the papers down on the porch and then stalked back to his car. He spun out, his tires kicking up gravel as he went.

Going into hiding was sounding better all the time.

The closer we got to the wedding date, the antsier Edward became. He was nearly jumping out of his skin when it came time to leave. He pulled a box out from under the bathroom sink. I'd never thought to look in there, and I think I wouldn't have believed what I saw if I had.

There was a double-breasted gun holster that fit right under Edward's suit coat. He grabbed another box out from behind the washing machine and pulled out two very large handguns. He checked the clips, and then he slipped two more clips into the pockets of the holster. Once everything was in place, he took a deep breath and then nodded at me. "Okay, I'm ready to go. Stay close by me at all times. Do you understand?"

I nodded yes, but he cupped my cheeks, looking me straight in the eyes. "It's not safe for me or you. I don't trust Anthony, and I don't know if someone is going to try and make a play for me when I come out in the open. If someone goes to grab me, I want you to get back and take cover. I need you to stay clear of the gunfire."

He was scaring the shit out of me. I was a shaking mess, but I nodded yes.

He pulled me into his arms tightly and kissed the top of my head. "Once we get through this, we'll be married. It'll be worth it, you'll see.

I took a deep shuttering breath, "Yeah." I didn't say it with as much confidence as I'd hoped.

He stepped back, looking down at me worried. "We don't have to do this. Just say the word…"

"No, I want to marry you. We're doing it. I just didn't realize…" My eyes settled on the guns.

"Yeah, well, I tried to warn you."

I nodded. "You did. I guess it's just different to hear it than it is to see it. I believed you, but I guess it never sank in, until right now."

"Are you okay to do this? We don't have to go. We can find another way to get married."

I shook my head at him. "This way your family can be there. Your dad said there'd be guards. We should be fine." I didn't believe a word I said, but I knew us being married in the church was just as important to him as it was to me. His family being there was the icing on the cake.

We parked around the back of the church. Joey held the back door open for us and pulled us both into a side room. Edward struggled with his contacts, but finally got them in. He now had vivid green eyes. I gave him a reassuring smile, "They look great."

He let out a breath, trying to steady himself. We had been given an invitation with the names George and Candace on it. Edward led me to the usher, holding onto my hand painfully tight, with his eyes darting all over, taking in everyone around him. The usher seated us by the back door, close to the exit, and I wondered if he had been told to put us there.

Edward had me squished hard into his side, with his gun digging into me. I turned my face into his shoulder as we waited for everyone else to arrive.

Marky walked up the center aisle in his tux, greeting a few people as he went. His eyes landed on me and Edward, and my gut wrenched. I didn't like him looking at me, and I didn't want to look at him. I hated that he'd seen and touched parts of me that didn't belong to him. My lapse in judgment made me feel like a whore. I wished that no one had ever touched me but my Edward. The regret hit me like a wrecking ball.

A baby crying drew Marky's attention away from me, and an older woman brought a little blue bundle to him. He smiled down at his son, making me feel sicker. He kissed his son and gave the woman a squeeze. I felt so out of place. It was wrong for me to be there. Any minute now, a woman would be walking down the aisle to him and become his wife. I was ashamed to be here. I couldn't stand to be in the same room with them. She was to be his wife, and I was the whore. I wouldn't want her here if it was the other way around.

I tried to squirm out of Edward's grip, but he wasn't letting up. "Edward, please." He looked down at me, and my distress finally registered. "I need to get out of here. I can't be here and watch that."

He looked so hurt, and I realized he probably thought I was upset because I still loved Marky. The truth was the best way to go. "Being in here makes me feel like a whore." His eyes widened and my breathing hitched. "Please, can we just not be in here for this. I can't do this. I can't look at his wife and pretend everything is okay. That we never…he wasn't mine, we weren't married. I don't belong here. I don't want to ruin her day."

He nodded okay and carefully guided me out to the foyer.

There were a few people milling around out there, so he led me into a side room, so no one would question why we weren't in our seats. He pulled me into his arms and held me, his face tucked into my hair and mine into his chest.

"What do you mean you lost him? How the hell did you lose him?" we heard Anthony growling at someone. "You were supposed to keep an eye on those two and they get snagged right from under your fucking nose! You three, search the perimeter."

"You should probably let them know you're in here," a voice from across the room startled us. We turned around, and standing there was a priest with a soft smile. "I'm guessing you're Edward and Bella?"

Edward narrowed his eyes at him, and I felt him shift a hand to one of his guns subtly. "We're George and…"

"Candace," the priest finished. Edward's eyes darted for the door. "I have a ceremony to attend to, but I suggest you let Mr. Volturi know your whereabouts, before he causes a huge seen, ruining the happy couple's union."

He slipped out a door at the back of the room that most likely led to his pulpit. Once he was gone, I shoved Edward toward the door. "Don't let Anthony ruin their wedding."

Edward glanced at the door across the room and then stepped out of the one we had come in through back into the foyer, my eyes nervously trained on him as he pulled the door closed behind him.

He'd only been gone a second, when I felt a cloth cover my face and my body being dragged backwards across the room toward the back door. I hoped the goons checking the perimeter would see me being dragged away, or else I was screwed. I tried to fight, but I was out before I could get a good kick in. My last thought was of Edward. I wished we had been married before I died, because I knew I wasn't getting out of this alive.


	33. Chapter 33

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**Chapter 33 – Dancing with Demons**

The road to hell was bumpy and long. I woke up in what I was pretty sure was a trunk. That was what it felt like to the side of my face that was rubbing against the rough fibers beneath me. My whole body hurt, especially where ties of some sort were digging into me. I couldn't tell what they were, because I couldn't move or see at all. I was wrapped up so tightly my skin burned. My thighs were bound tightly together and lashed to my chest. My knees and hands were bound to their mates and then each other, with my wrists pinched between my knees. My legs were folded, my ankles and shins tied to my thighs. I was effectively scrunched and tied into a tiny ball, with something that was cutting into my skin horribly, and I couldn't move my hands at all to find out what the hell it was. My eyes hurt from the tight blindfold I was wearing. It was so snug it hurt my nose. I tried to get my face to my thumbs, so I could move it or at least loosen it a little, but the big rubber thing they had stuffed into my mouth prevented me from getting too close. The more I squirmed, the more it hurt.

I didn't see, but I felt the warm sun hit my skin and knew my attempt to escape was over for now. Whoever it was grabbed some sort of makeshift handle that ran across my chest and over my arms. The braces for it cut into my lower back, the Spanx I had put on for the wedding saving my ass and lower thighs from being cut into.

"Ha, I was gonna come help carry her in, and you got her wound up like she's in a shopping bag. Isn't that bitch too heavy to carry in one hand?"

"Her? Nah, watch, I can even curl her." I felt myself being lifted, and I banged painfully into someone's forearm. I whimpered, unable to cry out, because of the big rubber thing they had shoved into my mouth.

"I got it ready. Drop her in, so she knows what's coming."

I felt myself fall into icy water. My cuts stung, and I tried to gasp for air, only to fill with water. I attempted to thrash and pull myself up, but it was fruitless. I could barely rock myself. There was no way to get up, but the pain of my body didn't stop me from trying, causing my ties to cut into me deeper.

I felt myself being yanked up. "Not too long, we need her awake to talk."

"Dude, bring the chain over here. We can hook her on that. We can dunk her for hours and not get tired if she's dangling from that thing."

"She better not take hours. She's just a cunt, anyways. I'm sure she'll sing as soon as the gag is off her face."

I heard the rattle of a chain, and when I was hooked onto the end of it, the ties cut deep into my flesh. I let out a mumbled cry. If my blindfold hadn't been soaked by ice water, it would've been by tears.

Someone licked my cheek, and I felt the pop of the gag being released. I couldn't stop the gasping wail of pain that filled the room and echoed off of vast walls.

"Sounds like you're hurting, little girl." The chain was shaken, and the restraints cut deeper. I felt hot breath against my ear. "You weren't our target, but we know you know where he lives. Tell us and we'll leave you on the side of the road to be found."

I was in too much pain to speak, not that I would ever give up Edward's position. The sting of a hard slap caused me to swing. "Open your fucking mouth and tell us where that little Volturi shit lives. Stop your fucking crying and talk!"

I couldn't do anything but cry.

"Drop her." I was plunged into the water, stinging the cuts, but the cool water against my throbbing cheek was welcome. In some sick way, it settled me down, and I prayed they'd just leave me down there in the water to drown.

All too soon, the binds were pulled tight again, and I was raised out of the water. They cut even deeper into my cold flesh. The heat of my thighs against my chest was actually welcomed. I was bound so tight, it was impossible to shiver.

Someone grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me to their face. Their sour breath filled my nose. "Tell me where the hell little Eddie lives." He shook me and screamed in my face again, "Tell me!" His rancid spittle flew across my cheek. I had my crying under control, but I still wasn't talking. "Drop her again." He sounded furious. The chain was released, and I literally dropped, my back hitting the bottom of the tub hard, and it knocked the wind out of me. I lay silently on the bottom of the tank longer than the time before. I was on the verge of passing out, when I was jolted upward.

"No one is coming to save you, you little cunt. I had an inside man say that you ran crying from the church. You fucking left on your own and disappeared. You're the skank that ran out on the Volturi family. They're gonna kill you if I don't." He stepped back and punched my ribs hard, causing me to swing back and forth.

Some asshole in the distance was laughing. "She's a fucking piñata. Do it again!"

I heard a dark chuckle and was punched again, this time across the face. If my eyes had been open, I would have seen stars. My restraints cut into me deeper. "Talk, you fucking bitch. Where are they hiding Edward?"

I must have gone insane, because I started laughing. I knew I was dead, and there was no way I was going to give up Edward so he could go through this, too. I was hit hard in the other side of my body, and I felt something crack. My body spun, and my bindings pulled tighter with every turn and sway. "Drop the cunt!"

I was dropped, but because I was swinging, I hit the side of the tub, before I fell face first to the bottom of it. I was left down there longer this time. My body was made numb by the ice water and adrenaline. Again, I was almost unconscious when they yanked me back out of the water. I took a mouthful of it with me, and when the bastard grabbed my hair, I spit in the general direction his voice came from. I must have hit him, because the idiot with him was laughing his ass off.

I was beaten like a piñata then, before I was dropped down again. A different voice spoke from further away. I could hear my previous captor in the distance, cussing about his wet clothes.

"Just tell us where he lives. No one is coming for you. There's no reason to draw this out and torture yourself more, honey. Just tell us what we want to know, and I'll leave you by the roadside."

"In a fucking pile of ants!" the angry wet man yelled from across the room. "Fuck that, just kill the bitch. She ain't talking."

"You hear that, honey? You don't want to die, do you?" The sweet-talking devil pushed some of my damp hair from my face. "Just tell us where Edward lives, and this can all be over."

He heard me gasp and whimper from the pain of breathing and thought I was conceding.

"How about you just give us some clues? I know you don't want to turn on them, but a few clues isn't really ratting them out, is it, honey?"

"Kill the bitch, and let's get the fuck out of here before someone notices we're missing."

"I told you, we ain't killing her. If they want to do it, so be it, but I'm just leaving her to be found. She can't ID us, and she has no clue as to where the hell we are."

"Just fucking drown her and let's go."

"You hear that, honey? You're gonna die right quick if you don't speak up."

I took a shallow pained breath and fought for some sense. I felt the hot hand on my sore cheek, encouraging me to speak. "I don't know who you're talking about," I wheezed.

"Wrong answer." He dropped me into the water, and I sat there relieved. I hoped they'd just leave me to die.

The chain was jolted several times in a choppy movement, digging my bindings even deeper than before. "Don't make me angry, little girl. I know you've been staying with Edward Volturi. Now tell me where he lives!"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

I was punched again and left swinging. "Edward Volturi Masen. The man you were with at the wedding. Where the hell do you live?"

"I don't know who you're talking about!" I shouted and was thankfully dropped back into the water. The suffocating ice water was a peaceful reprieve. I was sure that wasn't what they were going for, but with every dunk, I prayed they wouldn't pull me back up.

"I'm getting tired of this game, little girl. Let's try this again." I heard the click of a lighter and the searing heat of a flame was held to my arm. "Tell me where Edward lives."

I tried to pull away, but it was fruitless. I ended up just swaying around, and the flame was gliding across more flesh.

"It looks like we're getting somewhere. We just needed a different motivator. Now, tell us where he is, little girl."

I couldn't stop myself from screaming out in pain. They pulled the flame back and shouted again. It didn't matter what happened. I couldn't give up Edward. I wouldn't let them do this to him.

"Come on, honey, just say the words. Give us the answer and this all stops." I felt the flame leave, and then a fingernail jabbed hard into the burn. "That's gonna scar. Talk or we'll ruin your whole face."

I felt the flame hit in a new spot, and I cried out and tried to get away or at least ease it some by swaying. There was no stopping the pain, though.

"Tell us! Where the hell is Edward? You want this?" He jammed the lighter into my neck, all but extinguishing the flame. I felt the print of the hot metal on my flesh and the flame finally went out. "Tell me where to find him!"

"I don't know," I sobbed.

"Fuck this, drop the whore in the water and let her die. We'll get our lead somewhere else."

I felt the flame run along my jaw like they were waiting for me to talk, but it wasn't going to happen. They finally dropped me unceremoniously into the water and left. The cool ice water felt wonderful on my burned skin and beaten body. Peaceful solitude was quickly taking me under, death would be my victory. They could get no answers from the deceased.

I was yanked back to reality.

"Get a towel, for god sakes! Where's a knife or something to cut this!" I heard a man snap. The ties on my body were all released, and my body fell open like a rag doll. "Get a medic!" Those were the last words I heard before I blacked out.

I didn't know how long I had been out, but it felt like the swelling of my face had gone down when I woke up in the hospital. There was a doctor by my IV and a man across the room.

"I'm Dr. Rogers, your physician. You're on some strong pain medication for your lacerations. You need to call a nurse if you want to move. You have stitches across your back and in several places. You'll need to stay in bed for a while to keep from tearing them. Would you like to sit up some?"

I nodded yes, and my head felt like a boulder. I cupped it with my hand and noticed the bandages on my arm.

"You have a minor concussion. You should probably take it easy." The bed was slowly raised, and I knew what the hell the man was talking about. I hadn't sat up too much when I felt the pull. It wasn't too painful, but I had a feeling it was because I was drugged.

The doctor stepped out, and the man from across the room stepped forward with a friendly smile and a notepad. "I'm Agent Marks, with the FBI's organized crime division. I'm the one that found you in the warehouse. Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?"

"Jane." If he was the FBI, I didn't want to be dragged back into that interrogation room again.

"Jane, alright, do you have a last name?"

"Doe."

He let out a deep breath, before he looked up at me. "I need your cooperation if we're going to put these men behind bars."

"I know, but I really don't know anything, and I'd rather not draw attention to myself."

"We can protect you. If you really feel you're in trouble, I can have you put into the witness protection program. You don't need to be afraid of them."

"They left me for dead. I am for all they know."

"Look, they'll most likely find out you aren't. You look like you've been through hell. You need to talk to me or risk being put through it again. Now, can you tell me why they took you?"

"I don't know. I think they mistook me for someone else."

The man grimaced, like he didn't believe me. "Can you tell me what they were asking about? That looks to be some pretty intense water torture," he pointed to my bandaged wrists.

If the FBI was going to put me away for knowing about a little paper, they'd definitely throw Edward in a whole hell of a lot longer for knowing way more. I couldn't mention his name and draw attention to him.

"I don't know what they wanted."

The man pulled a chair over next to my bed. I knew he wasn't going to give up easily. "How about you just tell me what they said. I know they had to be asking you about something."

"There was a lot of water in my ears. It made it hard to hear."

The man rubbed his face. "Sweetheart, I'm really trying to help you here. You need to work with me. I promise I'll make sure you're safe. Can you please tell me what they were asking you about? Did they make mention of anyone or anything?"

"I'm sorry."

"What questions where they asking you?"

I knew he wasn't going to give it up, so I had to come up with something. "I think it was about money. I told you they were mistaken. I really don't know who they were talking about."

"Did they mention any names, like who you'd owe this money to?"

"No, I was 'paying' for it, but I didn't know what _it_ was. I don't know what they were talking about. I'm tired now."

I faded out then, and the doctor must have come back in, because I felt something being pushed into my IV. My body quickly felt like it was floating, and my mind was cloudy. I knew I was trying not to say something, but I wasn't sure what, and I couldn't seem to focus anymore.

"Can you please repeat what the men were asking you? Say it again, so I can write it down clearly."

"It again," I answered, and I knew I needed to keep my mouth shut. "I'm sorry, I can't talk."

"Why can't you talk, honey? Who are you protecting?"

When he called me honey, I remembered that sick voice taunting me with the water.

"Who called you honey? What was his name? What was he asking you?"

I didn't realize I had said that out loud, and I knew I had to shut up. School, I'd focus on Principal Stewart and how much I loved detention. He was so nice. I just had to focus on him, until that man went away.

I must have fallen asleep, because I was startled awake when it felt like I'd hit a big bump. I was being moved.

"She's waking up. I think her pain medicine is wearing off."

I knew that voice. Marky.

"You can drug her once you get her home. I'm sure she'll appreciate you more for it." I knew that voice, too. It was Anthony Volturi.

"Gramps, she's fucked up," I heard Marky worry.

"It can only work in your favor. I want her dead. She knows too much."

"She passed all your tests. Just let her…" I heard Marcus senior's voice then.

"No one fucks with my son. If you want her, you can have her, but she's too much of a risk to have around my boy. You get her to agree to forget about Edward and keep her under control or she's dead," Anthony growled. "You keep your whore in check or she's gone."

I felt a gentle hand push some hair back from my face and lips softly kiss my forehead. "I'm so sorry," was whispered in my ear before I blacked out again.


	34. Chapter 34

**Beta'd by Dollybigmomma **

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**Chapter 34 – Arrangements**

I woke crying when I felt my back tearing.

"Shush, baby, I'm so sorry. I swear I wouldn't do this if there was any other way," Marky whispered in my ear as he attempted to carefully carry me somewhere.

"Make her kneel," Anthony ordered.

"There's no way I'm making her kneel. She's too fucked up. I'm not hurting her anymore," Marky refused.

"Boy, don't you dare…" Anthony started, but Marcus cut in.

"Give the boy a break; he's never seen anyone messed up like this. You fucked his girl up way more than she needed to be."

"I decide how much she takes."

Marky had laid me flat out on the ground, and that stopped the horrible tearing feeling from my back. "Careful, baby, don't move. Just lay still. Once you agree to be my goomah, Anthony will let you go."

My eyes fluttered open in time to see Marky's lips land down on mine. I pushed at him, trying to stop him. He felt my hand and grabbed it. He held it down next to my head. His eyes locked with mine. "You're my new goomah. We just have to prove it. It's the only way Gramps is gonna let you go."

"No, please, I want Edward. I love him."

Marky frowned at me. "You can't have him. He's been sent away. Gramps refused to let you be with him, because you'll compromise his new life. You need to be with me." He kissed my neck and cheek, up to my ear. What used to feel good now made my skin crawl.

"Please, stop, don't do this," I begged.

"It's the only way. You got to be with somebody. I want it to be me. You have to be with a Volturi, and there isn't anyone near your age but me. You want a dirty old man fucking you?"

I couldn't stop my tears. "Please don't do this."

"He's gonna kill you, Bella." Marky leaned in closer to my ear and whispered so softly that I almost missed it, "He's gone nuts. No one is safe around him. Just let me get you out of here. Once I fuck you in front of him, he'll believe you're mine."

"NO, please don't."

He slammed my wrist to the ground, making me cry out in pain. I watched him walk over to his father, obviously upset about something. The cocking of a gun grabbed my attention. I looked up to see Anthony standing over me.

"Hold up! Damn it, I'm not done. It's not my fault she's in love with that douchebag!" Marky shouted.

"Watch your mouth!" Anthony growled at Marky and trained his gun on him.

Marcus pulled his son aside out of range. "Dad, let him have another go at her. She's probably worried about getting knocked up." His nervous gaze shifted to me. "Ain't that right, honey? You don't want to mess things up with him and Lisa Marie, but she knows he's taking a goomah, so it's all good. There's nothing to worry about. Go on, Marky, work your magic, you had her begging for it every time we turned around."

Marky moved back over me and started kissing me. My hands fisted his shirt, too weak to push him away, but I knew he felt my protest. He kissed down to my ear again. "You have to want this. You have to be my goomah, baby, or he's gonna kill you." He kissed and nibbled my neck, and my eyes squeezed shut in disgust. He spoke so the men could hear him, "That's it, baby. You used to love it when I touched you. You begged for it, swinging that tight little ass in my face. I'll take care of you. You'll have your own place, and you'll be mine." He was kissing me again, and when he pulled back, he saw the tears in my eyes. "I don't ever have to fuck Lisa Marie again. I swear to god, if you let me keep you, it'll just be you. I don't need to fuck her anymore. I'm never gonna touch her again. If I got you, I'll never touch anyone else, just like I promised. Remember that night in my bed? It was you. I only wanted you. We can be that again, baby. You just have to let me take you here, and then I'll keep you safe for the rest of your life. I promise."

"Please," I begged so softly, I knew the other men didn't hear it. "I love him."

"What was that?" I heard Anthony ask, turning toward a sound in the woods.

"Shit, I think we were followed," Marcus answered.

The noise was louder, and it was obvious that someone was moving quickly through the underbrush towards our position.

"We gotta get out of here," Marcus warned.

"Grab the girl. Pick her up and move!" Anthony ordered.

"Fuck that. She's heavy. I ain't getting caught." Marky gave me a sad smile and a nod. I knew it was his way of getting me away from Anthony. My eyes followed him to the edge of the clearing, and I saw Anthony turn and point his gun at me. Marky saw it, too, and shoved his arm, making the bullet hit next to me. "Move, we got to get out of here!" he shouted, trying to cover his actions. I was worried, because by the look on Anthony's face, he knew exactly what Marky had done.

Bullets whipped through the air, hitting the trees around them. One grazed Marky, and I knew I had to stop them.

"Stop, help! Please don't shoot!" I cried.

The pause in firing was just enough for the Volturi men to get away.

It had been a while since I'd seen them last, but I still recognized Agent Ortega and Agent Richards. They looked down at me and frowned. They radioed for a medic, and Agent Ortega moved in closer to get a better look at me. "Ms. Swan, it looks like you landed on the wrong side of the Volturi family. Are you ready to talk now?"

I moaned more in annoyance than pain, but they thought it was pain. My back was killing me. "I think my stitches are torn." He looked at the bloody bandages on my wrists. "Not my wrist, my back. They hurt like hell."

"We called for an ambulance. It'll be here soon." My eyes fluttered closed again, knowing I was safe, and I let the drugs pull me under again.

I cried out when they moved me onto the backboard, and I was grateful when they pulled up to the hospital. I wondered if Joey was on duty. From the way Marcus and Marky had been acting, it was clear to me that Anthony was completely off his rocker, crazy even for the head of a crime family. I was worried that Marcus wasn't going to be able to save Marky from Anthony. He knew Marky had interfered with his kill shot. I had to get word to someone to help them.

I was checked out, washed up, and re-stitched, and once I was medicated again enough to withstand being moved, I was escorted down to the station with Agent Ortega and Agent Richard on either side. They couldn't cuff me because of the wounds on my wrists, but I knew they had a feeling I wasn't gonna talk again. Anthony had gone nuts, but there was no way to take him down without hurting a lot of people, including Edward. I just couldn't do that.

They let me stand, since sitting was uncomfortable, "Well, here we are again, Ms. Swan. I want you to understand how precarious your position is. You disappeared for a vast amount of time, with an open investigation in progress. That can be construed as evading arrest. Now, if you wise up, you'll realize that the Volturi are not on your side." He pointed to my bruised face, "That's what you get for staying loyal to them. You have to know a whole hell of a lot more than the whereabouts of some paper to receive that kind of treatment. How about you do yourself a favor and talk. I can assure you a place in witness protection."

I wasn't going to risk anyone by talking. I had to find a way to get out of there and have someone look in on Marky. That was when it all clicked. "My lawyer, I want my lawyer, call Victor Masen."

"You've got to be kidding me. You walk out of here with that guy, you're not coming back. You'll be added to the list of murders we're investigating sure as you're breathing."

I trusted Victor. I trusted the Masen's. "Call Victor Masen."

It wasn't ten minutes later before Victor was rushing in through the door. His face looked pained when he took in my appearance. He was looking me up and down, like he was taking an inventory of my injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but we need to leave, now," I said in an urgent voice.

Once we were in his car, I told him to have someone check on Marky and Marcus. He was on the phone immediately and had Luke, Caius, and Tino looking for them.

"Christ, even after what they pulled last summer, you're still looking out for them."

"I think Marky is the only reason I'm alive right now. In fact, I know it is." I explained everything that had happened, and that I'd overheard that my being kidnapped was something Anthony had done as a test. "Where's Edward?" I was dying to see him.

Victor frowned. "He was sent out of state and into hiding as soon as you were taken. We didn't know it was Anthony, and he led everyone to believe it was the rival family after Edward. Joey had to sedate him to get him to go. We all promised we wouldn't stop looking for you until we found you. Luke and Tino swore not a man would survive once you were found. It took a while, but we were able to convince him that he'd do you no good captured, tortured, and dead. He knows we were all looking for you. We were, I swear. I think that was how Marcus found out Anthony had you. He was smart to try and pawn you off on Marky. From what it sounds like, Anthony doesn't think anyone will be good enough for Edward. That's gonna be a mess."

"Please, you have to help me find him. I want to be with Edward."

"I know, honey, but this is a bigger mess than it looks like. From what I gathered, Anthony doesn't want you outside the Volturi. If he was willing to let you live as a goomah, then that's what you'll have to be, or better yet, a wife. A wife is pretty untouchable, and it's more permanent. He'd be more likely to ease off. I'm gonna need time to get things pulled together. I'll let Edward know you're safe and to stay where he is." He got up and was pacing, deep in thought. "For me to pull this off, it's gonna take a month. If Edward keeps his mouth shut and acts like he's been dumped, we should be good to go. Now I just need to get you a husband."

"Husband?"

"You need to be kept safe, until I have your running papers in order. I'll get your trust set up and moved into untraceable accounts. You should be able to survive off that for a long time if you're frugal. A few name changes in several different states will hopefully throw Anthony off your scent. I'm gonna need time to do it, and you have to be married until then to keep you safe."

He flopped down in his chair and rubbed his face. "Tino is the closest to your age that can be trusted. He's twenty-seven, so it won't be too farfetched. It'll just be on paper, not in the church. We'll be able to annul it before it's time for you to marry Edward." He looked at me as he picked up the phone to dial. "Are you alright with this?"

I took in a deep shuddering breath. I'd do whatever I had to, if it would get me back to Edward. "Yeah, just a month, right?"

"Maybe two, but I swear not more than three. Tino will be respectful. It'll stay clean, so the annulment can go through easily."

"Yeah, okay."

"Good girl, I promise we'll get you out of this mess." He called Tino and told him to come down to his office. "So, I'm curious, how much do you know now? I suspect Edward has told you more about our family. It's not just the paper anymore is it?"

I gave him an unwavering look. I didn't want him to doubt that I knew what I was getting myself into by marrying Edward. "Everything."

"That's a big claim."

I snorted, "Tell me about it. We had nothing but time to talk."

"You want to get more specific? As your lawyer, I need to be able to know what I'm defending. I know the Feds are going to be up my ass about this."

"I know all of Edward's career options and who he would've studied under. I know those men out at the house didn't get lost in the woods. I know Luke and Tino killed a lot of people to keep Edward safe, and David and Daniel can't be trusted."

"Shit."

"Yeah, I do know too much, but I'm still not talking. There are too many people I want to protect, and ratting out one could hurt them all. Even if I do wish Anthony would go down in a fiery plane crash, you guys are worth keeping my mouth shut."

He gave me a soft smile. "You're one in a million. Edward's really lucky to have you."

The door slammed open, "Alright, where's my bride to be." Tino came in with a huge smile, but it fell as soon as his eyes landed on me, "Holy shit, baby girl, what happened?"

"Anthony," Victor said with a disturbing amount of venom.

"Jesus, are you alright?" Tino looked so pained as he walked around me. "We've got to get her to Joey. She shouldn't be out looking like that. She looks half dead."

"That's not a bad idea. You guys can spend your honeymoon in the hospital." Victor pulled a paper out of his desk drawer. He didn't even ask us to sign it. He signed both bride and groom spots, before he tore off the bottom piece and handed Tino the certificate. "You're married. I'm going to go file this in the courthouse to make it official." He came around his desk and kissed the top of my head, "Welcome to the family, little girl. You take good care of her, Tino. I'll know if you don't."

"Don't worry; I'm not letting anyone near her. I'll have Luke and Caius helping me keep an eye on her at all times. This is fucked up, even for Anthony. Marcus said he was bat shit crazy."

"Are they okay?" I asked.

"We haven't found them yet. Marcus was worried something was up when you went missing. He called us this morning and said he thought something was going down today. Don't worry, baby girl, Marcus can hold his own."

I knew he meant for his words to make me feel better, but the worried look on his face proved he questioned them himself.

A/N See, Marcus and Marky aren't bad guys.


	35. Chapter 35

**I signed up to donate a one shot to Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.**

**Dollybigmomma shake the mistakes out and dances the hokey pokey beta style.**

**Chapter 35 – Down and Out**

Tino carefully settled me down into his car and ran around to the driver side. He had his phone out, and when he climbed in, it was obvious he was talking to Joey. "We've got her. Victor found her, or she found Victor, either way, we're coming in. Baby girl was hurt pretty bad. It looks like she's had a patch job done, but I don't trust anyone but you with her. We're almost there. Thanks, Joey."

"Can we call Edward? Do you know where he is?"

"Nah, baby, I don't. Only one other person knows where Edward is, besides Anthony, and that's Victor. He'll let him know you're alright." He looked at me and grimaced. I could tell he didn't think I was alright.

"Will I get a chance to talk to him on the phone at least? I really want to see him or at least talk to him."

"I know, but he's on lockdown like you wouldn't believe. We think his phone is being monitored. Ant was pretty pissed after he found out the family had been hanging around with him. We think he did something to Ann Marie for that, but she ain't saying shit. I think she knows we'll all go ballistic on his ass. After this, though, I don't think she'll care, especially if he touched little Marky. You don't want to piss off my sister."

We pulled up to the back entrance of the hospital, and Joey was there, holding the door open. He held a neutral face like a good doctor. He walked me straight into a hospital room and stopped Tino at the door. "I need to examine her."

"She's my wife. I'm worried about her." Joey looked between me and Tino. "Victor said it would keep her safe, and that Anthony would leave her alone."

A wide smile spread across Joey's face. "Good thinking, Victor has a lot of finesse."

"Fine ass? What the hell, Janice would have this balls, dick and hands if he was going after any fine ass that wasn't hers," Tino cut in.

I couldn't help laughing, but it hurt. They both looked at me warily.

"What's hurting?" Joey's eyes were darting calculatedly over my ribs, as if he had x-ray vision.

"My ribs, I'm pretty sure a couple of them are broken."

"Tino, out, just because you have a paper, doesn't mean you get to look. I know for damn sure Edward would ring your bell if you looked at his girl."

Tino looked like a shamed puppy. "I know. I'm just worried about her. I'll go get some food from the machine down the hall. You got your glock on you?"

Joey looked troubled for a moment and shook his head, "No, give me a minute to get it out of my locker. I take it you'll have people watching her in shifts?"

"Yeah, it was Ant who did this. He's fucking nuts. No one is allowed near her, aside from Luke, Victor and Caius. If anyone else comes in looking for her, you send them the other way, and get one of us to talk to them. We're playing this hand close to the vest."

Joey looked over at me concerned. "I'll be right back. Do me a favor and carefully take off your bandages, so I can see what we're working on."

Once Joey stepped out, Tino watched as I peeled the few visible bandages off my arms and legs. His eyes kept settling on the one on my neck that covered my ear. When I didn't remove it, he looked like he wanted to ask about it.

"It's a burn. I'm not taking it off, because I don't want to risk infection."

"Burn?"

"Can we not talk about this?" My body remembered the flame all too well. I wished I had an icepack.

"No, yeah, of course, I'm sorry. You're probably still working on it. Yeah, I'll keep my mouth shut. Just let me know if you need me. I want you to be okay."

I always thought Tino was a lughead, but he really was a sweetheart, just like my Edward. "Thanks, Tino. I really appreciate you helping me out."

"Hey, you're my wife," he shrugged.

I chuckled, but stopped short because it hurt.

"Victor said you were snagged by the Feds. Didn't they get you treated at the hospital or anything?"

"I think they got hold of my bogus records from the first time I was brought in and decided I was fine."

"Fuck that, Joey will give you the works, and then Victor will stick it to the Feds for fucking up again. Sometimes I wonder, with all the shit they pull, how are they any better than us?"

"You guys are looking out for family; they're just looking out for their job. Who do you think the better man is?" He scrunched his brow like he wasn't sure. "You guys are better, because you have more reasons to get dirty to protect your families. They're just covering their asses."

"Oh! Little girl swears! I'm sure that went over well with Eddie."

"He never said anything to me about it. It's not like I did it much. I really don't do it a lot."

"Don't let Momma Masen catch you with that mouth. She'll get you with a bottle of dish soap, and that lemon shit stays with you for days," he bemoaned.

"Thanks for the warning."

Joey came back in and flashed Tino the gun that was in a holster under his doctors' coat. Once Tino was out of the room, Joey helped me undress carefully. "Do you want me to wait and call Ann Marie down to help with this?"

"No, she needs to be there for Marcus and Marky."

"What? Are they alright? I haven't been called."

"I hope you don't get called, but I do know Marky was grazed by a bullet the last time I saw him. Tino said they're out looking for Marcus and Marky now. I hope they're alright."

"Who was shooting at Marky?"

"It was the Feds, but I'm more worried about what Anthony is going to do to him. Marky shoved his arms so his shot missed me. He tried to play it off as being in a hurry, but even from across the clearing, I could see Anthony was pissed."

"Marcus was telling Ann that he didn't think Anthony was right in the head anymore. He's always been a little nuts, but lately he has more than just a screw loose." He worked around my back, tying my hair up out of the way and letting out a hiss. "Jesus, let me take some pictures of this, alright? I'm sure Victor will want some for evidence. I'm gonna give you something for the pain before we do the x-rays. Have you been given any medication recently?"

"I'm not sure. I had something, maybe this morning, but I honestly didn't know what time of day it was or when it happened. I'm pretty sure I was drugged to see if they could get me to talk, but I was too out of it to know anything about that."

Joey was pinching his nose like he was pissed. "I'll get a tox screen done on you."

I remembered that he was the one who had sedated Edward. "Can you call Edward for me? I want to talk to him."

He looked so sad, "Ah, honey, I wish I could, but I don't think anyone has his phone number. I think Victor has a way to contact him, but I'm pretty sure it's not through the phone. Ant went nuts when he found out he was chatting on the phone with everyone like a grandma. He cut him off, and the only number he has now is watched by Ant."

I was crushed. "How will he know…?"

"It'll be a while. He was under the care of another doctor for a short time. He really hurt himself when he went nuts looking for you."

I whimpered, knowing how much it must have hurt him to have lost me. "Is he alright, do you know?"

"Yeah, we got word back that he was better, but that was the last of it. You should talk to Tino more about how they talk with him. I know it's not a phone, though. Hell, it could be snail mail for all I know."

Three of my ribs were cracked, one on my left side and two on my right. The gash in my back was torn and looked to be infected. Joey thought I was most likely out for the two unaccounted-for days that I had no recollection of. I did have a minor concussion, but it being a few days past the day it was acquired, Joey didn't seem too worried about it. I was finally re-bandaged and given appropriate legal drugs for the pain and infection. I fell into a heavy sleep.

I woke up screaming three times, my nightmares about being taken again and tortured were too real. The last time I woke, Caius was at my bedside. He gently shook my shoulder to wake me. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I asked.

He grinned huge. "Not even close, little girl. Just 'cause I'm on nightshift, don't mean I sleep."

"Sorry." I felt like an idiot.

"Nah, Joey said I should call him if you keep waking up. I think he wants to knock you out hard."

I nodded, not really sure about that. I didn't know Caius as well as I knew Luke and Tino.

"I'm going to step outside, but I'm staying at the door, okay? I'm not leaving you. I'm just standing on the other side so I can make a call."

"Okay." I let out a deep breath, trying to keep it together. I didn't realize how much anxiety I had about him leaving until it was made clear that I'd be in the room alone.

He was only out of the room two seconds, when my chest tightened up, and I cried out in pain. He came running in, along with a nurse I didn't recognize. "What's wrong with her?" he snapped at her.

"Her pulse is racing." She grabbed an oxygen mask off the wall and held it over my face. "Take a deep breath, honey."

Even though it was said in a woman's voice, it still caused my stomach to roll. My drink pitcher was by the bed empty. I grabbed it and lost the little bit of bad hospital food I'd eaten.

"Jesus, what the fuck is going on?" Caius was getting pissed, and it wasn't helping matters.

"I got her," Joey came rushing in. "Bella, I need you to look at me." He held my face in his hands. "You're safe. Do you hear me?" I took a few more deep breaths. "You need to settle down, inhale, exhale, and concentrate on that. I'm here, you're safe with me. Nothing is going to change that. Are you here with me?"

I finally settled down enough and nodded yes.

"Good girl."

"What happened?" Caius pushed.

"PTSD from her abduction caused an anxiety attack. It's important to know her triggers. Do you know what they were?" he asked me gently.

"He left, just out the door, but I couldn't see him."

Caius slumped down in his chair, "I'm sorry, baby girl."

"It's not your fault," Joey waved him off. "Was there anything else?"

"She called me honey," I whispered, so embarrassed that a single word could cause so much turmoil.

"Good, that's good. Caius said you're having a hard time sleeping. I think it's been long enough since your bump that I could maybe put you into a deep sleep for a little while. Your body needs rest to heal. Before you agree to this, I have to warn you, Tino will be in charge if something happens while you're under. He's your husband on paper."

"Like he'd ever risk sandwich girl," Caius scoffed.

Joey chuckled and looked back at him. "You know that, and I know that, but I need to do what makes her feel the most comfortable." He turned back to me, smiling softly. "I really think you being under in a dreamless sleep for a bit might help you. You need some rest and peace for your body."

"How long?"

"How long would you like to rest? Not more than a week, though."

"Has anyone got a hold of Edward yet?"

Caius gave me a sad smile. "We got him…well, Victor got him a message. He knows you're safe, but he didn't tell him you were hurt. He was worried he'd come running and make a mess before Victor could get you out safe. If you want to send him a message, I'll see what I can do. It's gotta be short so it fits on a sticky note and in code so strangers or even other people like Anthony wouldn't know what it means. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute. Then can you knock me out for a week? I think I'd like to sleep off the more painful part of this recovery."

"Of course, I'll go get things prepared, while you give Caius your message."

Coming up with a code that no one would understand was nearly impossible. I thought of what I wanted to tell him. It mostly was just I love you and I miss you, and to hide that to be unrecognizable would be difficult.

"I think I've got it," I let Caius know.

"Alright, baby girl, lay it on me." He pulled out a notepad and pen, ready for my message.

"Still not bothering and never will, thin blanket on top, mixed towels, rocky road, chess, bacon, ladybugs, clap your hands soon."

Caius laughed as he read it back to me. "I don't know what the hell you said, but I hope he gets it."

I listened to him read the words again and smiled. I knew he would. "He will."

Joey came in and asked if I was ready. It didn't take long to hook me up and finally put me under. I was ready for some peace.

A/N this was mostly filler but the next chapter will pick up again.


	36. Chapter 36

**Several people have asked about the note. The most important parts are the "not bothering" which is what they would say to each other to tell them they are not interested in starting a relationship with anyone else. "Clap your hands soon" refers to the song "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands." It was her way of saying she wanted to see him soon, hence being happy soon. **

"**Still not bothering and never will, thin blanket on top, mixed towels, rocky road, chess, bacon, ladybugs, clap your hands soon."**

**Now the other stuff is mostly just references to their time together, letting him know that she hasn't forgotten him. I can get even more complicated and describe it more, but that wasn't how she expected him to read it. **

"**Thin blanket on top" can be I miss sleeping with you at night, "Mixed towels" I know you're frustrated, but everything will be fine. "Rocky road," Just try and relax, "Chess" I'm still your geeky girl "Bacon" cheer up, "Ladybugs" I'm not going anywhere.**

**Again the first and last line is still the most important. The rest is just gravy that he can interpret the way he wants.**

**Chapter 36 – Military Secrets**

The week passed, and I woke to Tino and Luke standing on one side of the bed and Joey on the other. Tino looked so worried as he held my hand in his, patting it gently. "How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

I didn't feel in pain anymore, my face was feeling a lot better. "My skin feels a little tight, but I feel good."

"Women pay good money for tight skin," Luke teased.

"You have some really nice scabs grown over your wounds. They look great. The burn on your cheek is coming along nicely. I don't think it'll scar like your arms and will most likely only show up when you get too much sun. Some sunscreen will help with that."

"Have you heard from Edward?"

Luke waved a sticky note at me. "I got your message right here."

I was so relieved to get a response from him that I snatched the paper quickly from Luke's hand. "Thank you so much." I hoped my excitement and gratitude would be enough for Luke to excuse my rude behavior.

His note was sweet and simple, much like mine.

"Bothering you alone, shirt the in pond, paving stones, s'mores, proper blankets, I'll clap soon, so will you."

"What did he say? Why are you crying? I'll kick his ass if he…"

"No, Tino, I'm sorry. I understand his note, that's all. He misses me, too."

Luke scrunched up his face. "That made no sense. I guess it being so vague and confusing is a good thing, though. Would you like to write him back?"

"Yes, please."

He pulled a pen out of his suit coat. "Lay it on me."

"Bothering you like crazy, pond in the closet, birdhouse, god save the queen, misplaced forks, can't wait for a standing ovation."

"Jesus, you should write messages for the military," Luke laughed.

"Caius said that no one should be able to decipher it but us."

"You got that right. No one would have a clue if they came across it." Luke looked down at the note as if he was trying to figure it out.

"You get to go home with Tino tomorrow. I want to keep an eye on you to make sure there are no lasting effects from the coma. Otherwise, everything has closed up nicely. The risk of infection is minimal. Just let the scabs fall off by themselves."

"Yeah, don't pick at 'em," Tino added. He still looked worried for me.

"Where is Victor with everything?" I was anxious to know if I'd see Edward sooner or later.

"Not sure. He had me deliver a messed-up note to some chick for him. I didn't know what the hell that one said, either. From what I could tell, she called some other guy to pass it on. I'm sure Victor will come check on you soon."

I sat up a little more, moving slowly. My back felt tight, but didn't pull like I worried it would.

"How's the back feeling?" Joey asked concerned.

"Not too bad, just tight. It doesn't feel like anything is trying to tear."

"Wonderful, just don't push yourself. Let things heal up all the way before you try and stretch your skin again."

I nodded in agreement. I had a feeling that wouldn't feel too hot when the time came. I finally got a good look at the rest of the room and noticed it was full of flowers. "I thought no one was supposed to know I was here?"

"Yeah, well, Victor sent you some, then me, cause you know, you're my wife. I'd be an ass if I didn't. Then Luke here brought you that over there. Caius saw us all buying flowers and didn't want to look like a shit and got you some, too."

Luke kicked Tino's foot. "He wanted her to get better, too. Caius don't give a shit if we all gave her some."

I giggled a little.

"Anyway, Ann Marie found out you were here, so that's hers over there," Tino pointed to a huge bouquet. "Then that one over there is mine, too, 'cause my flowers should be the biggest, not hers."

"Thank you, Tino, they're beautiful." The silly man blushed. "Thanks for the flower, Luke; it was sweet of you to think of me."

"Yeah, well, aroma therapy and all."

"Aroma therapy? What the hell is that?" Tino teased.

"It's a real thing, right, Joey? Back me up here."

"It is a real thing. I've got to go check on my other patients," he waved goodbye with a chuckle.

The mention of Ann Marie made me worry about her husband and son. "Did you find Marky and Marcus?"

"Yeah, we got there in time, baby girl, nothing to worry about on that front."

"So they're alright?" I had to be sure.

"They will be. Like I said, we got there in time," Luke grimaced.

"What happened, where are they? Are they here? Can I go check on them?" I shot off my questions, making Luke laugh and Tino frown.

"Junior took a bullet, and Marcus had one in his arm, but only after he did a number on Ant. Ann Marie is a mess, but Joey patched them up and said they'll be fine. I was able to get there in time, thanks to your tip."

"I'm sorry." I felt horrible for causing so much trouble.

"Hey, it's not your fault Ant's bonkers. Everyone knows that, too," Tino petted my hair.

There was a knock on the door, and both men pulled out their guns. Luke leaned against it at the ready. "Who's there?"

"Your granny," said a deep voice.

Both men relaxed, and Luke opened the door to Marcus. "Look at you, all awake. You had us worried."

He had a bandage on his arm, but looked fine otherwise. "Looks like you're doing better, too," I pointed at his bandage.

"This is just a scratch in the butcher business," he winked at me.

"How's Marky?"

"He's gonna be fine." He grabbed Luke's shoulder and squeezed it, saying a silent thank you. "Joey says we're past the scary part."

"I'm sorry I got you both hurt."

"You're sorry? Not a fucking chance, kiddo. That shit was on us. I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner." He pulled up a chair next to me, bumping Tino out of the way, who glared down at Marcus, but Marcus didn't care. "Marky wanted to make sure you knew that he'd never hurt you like…that."

"You sent fuckers to nab her a couple months back." I could tell Tino wasn't happy about him being here.

"He wouldn't have done anything she didn't want. You didn't see the way things were with them. Tell 'em, sweetie."

Everyone waited expectedly for my answer. I realized Marky's frustration, his stopping when we were out in the middle of nowhere, and his complete lack of touching me anywhere inappropriate other than some kissing made it clear he wasn't as much of a sick bastard as we all thought. It was my history of my shameful behavior that instigated the whole mess. My cheeks bloomed a hot red. "That was before I met Edward."

"See?" Marcus patted the bed. "Now quit with the glaring, especially you, Tino. God knows Edward will flip his shit if you touch his girl."

"I haven't touched her!" he threw up his hands.

"Nah, but you're being a pushy fucker. He didn't want anyone here when you woke up," Luke griped.

"She's my wife, my responsibility. I didn't want her feeling overwhelmed."

There was another knock on the door, and all three men jumped to attention, pulling out guns. "It's just me, your grandma." I realized that had to be a code of some sort.

Luke opened the door to Victor. He walked in with a big smile. "There's my little Fort Knox. It's good to see you with your eyes open."

"Thanks."

"This nut makes it nearly impossible to see you. Those sandwiches you made must've been laced with coke or something, the way you got him addicted," he smirked at Tino.

"I'm just looking after my wife."

"You were married for her safety."

"And I'm keeping her safe from you fuckers wearing her out. Her body's still healing. She needs her rest."

There was another knock, and all four men pulled guns. "I've got more guards than the President."

I heard Marcus snicker a little.

"You're nana's here," Caius came in with a grin.

"My grandfather must be a polygamist with the amount of grandma's I've acquired," I laughed.

"The bastard liked tail, no reason to hate on him," Caius teased.

"He must like his women sturdy."

That caused everyone to laugh, but Tino. He was holding the same pout since Marcus sat next to me. I poked him with my toe, giving him a grin, and he smiled back.

There was a hurried knock, and then the door was swinging open fast. My whole body tensed, because only Luke and Caius had pulled their guns fast enough. "It's nonna coming in." It was Joey, and he looked worried. "You're brother, Aro, is here, he brought in Dora."

"What the fuck?" was the mutual consensus.

"What happened?" Marcus asked much cooler than the rest of the guys in the room.

"It was Ant. He's going after everyone that ever went to visit Edward," Joey grimaced.

"I'm gonna kill that fucker," Luke snapped. "Why the hell is he risking messing with the girls? He sure as hell knows better than that."

Joey ignored the ranting going on around him and spoke directly to Marcus. "I don't know, but Aro wants a side of beef."

"Hell yeah, he better." Luke added.

"That'll make our job easier," Marcus nodded. "We have to get to work while we still have his support. Now we only got to worry about D and the twins. Everyone else should fall in order when I take over. We need to move Bella into Marky's room until she can leave the hospital. Tino and Joey will stay with them. Caius, I want you to get my girls to safety with everyone else, don't forget your parents. Victor, take your family with them and stay there. I don't trust anyone but you. The move we gotta make has to be fast. I'm gonna need you two with me," he pointed at Caius and Luke.

"What about Edward?" I worried.

Marcus squeezed my hand. "He should be alright."

"I'll send him a message before we go," Victor tried to reassure me.

Luke handed over my sticky note message to him. "She wants to send this back. It might help him settle down if he hears from her."

Victor nodded and took the note from him.

"Well, get a move on, we got shit to do," Marcus ordered, and everyone got to work. Joey went straight to adjusting my bed to move me. I thought there would've been more planning, but everyone silently got to work.

Victor took off out the door with Luke, but Marcus, Tino and Caius followed Joey down the hall as he pushed my bed. They rapped on the door before they opened it. "It's your sister," Marcus called as he opened the door. I was surprised to see it was Ann Marie holding a gun pointed at the door.

"Bella, sweetie, are you alright? What's going on?" she asked as Joey parked the bed.

"There's been some changes. You and Nessa will go with Caius. Tino will stay with the kids."

"No, no way," she protested.

"Don't fight me on this. Joey will be here, too. They'll be fine."

"Like hell they will. You send our little girl, but I'm not leaving my son. Not when that bastard is still out there."

Marcus pulled her into his arms and kissed her head. "I know you're scared, and you don't want our boy left behind, but you know he's in no shape to move. I need to know you're safe, baby. You know the drill, this ain't the first time we've done this, and it won't be the last."

"I can't leave him, Marcus. I almost lost him. I'm not leaving him behind."

Marcus hugged her tightly, hiding his face in her hair. "Don't you dare leave this room, you hear me? I don't want you to step foot in the hall, you treat this like a prison cell, you understand me? No one, and I mean absolutely no one, leaves this room, except for Joey, and when he opens the door, you stay out of sight. Joe Schmoe is who's in this room, Not Marcus Volturi, not Isabella Masen, and I don't want anyone to suspect otherwise. You got me?"

We all nodded yes, even though he was talking to Ann Marie.

Marcus turned to Caius, "My daughter's playing at your house with your little Katie. Make them think it's some kind of vacation or retreat. The less they know the better."

"You got it, boss. I'll pick up my family and meet up with Victor. I'll call you after I make the drop and I'm out of range."

"How long is that gonna take?"

"To rush the packing and get them out there and back will be about four hours. That should give you plenty of time to feel out D and make a plan."

"Take Luke with you," Ann Marie begged.

"I will." He kissed her with a big wet smack and did the same to Marky's forehead and mine as well. "You're all gonna be fine. You brought a deck of cards, right?" he asked Ann.

She gave him a weak smile and nodded.

"Good, teach Bella a few card tricks and call it a night. This won't take too long. You'll see. I got Aro on my side."

"Aro?" she asked.

"He brought Dora in. Ant got to her."

"Christ, Marcus, if you don't kill the son of a bitch, I'll do it right now!"

"Should I have her moved in here as well? It'll be a tight fit, but maybe a little easier to defend," Joey suggested.

"Nah, Aro's got his boys. I rather them not know where we are. Do not answer the door, unless it's your grandma or your sister. If shit goes down, I want Joey to stay in here with Ann Marie and Tino, you help from a distance. Man the hall, cut off the tail of whatever the hell might go down, but I don't want that door out of sight," he pointed sternly to the room door.

"You can count on it." Tino looked like a sentinel taking his place by the door.

Marcus gave the room one last look, before he pulled Ann Marie into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, baby, I swear. I love you." He gave her a hard passionate kiss.

"I love you, too," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"I know, stay safe." He slipped out the door and left us in silence.

Joey checked over Marky and then peeked under the bandage that covered my burn. "You both are fine for now. Do as Marcus said, take it easy, play some cards, and in a couple of days, you'll get to go home again. Everything is gonna be fine."

I might have believed him if he didn't look so nervous. For a minute, it looked like Tino might not let him out of the room. He took his door guarding seriously, and I had to thank god for that.


	37. Chapter 37

**Dollybigmomma beta beat this chapter.**

I signed up to donate a one shot to Fandom for**Leukemia**& Lymphoma Society Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.

**Chapter 37 – Lockdown**

We'd been in the hospital for two days, waiting for word on if things had settled down yet or not. Joey brought in a duffle bag of clothes. Ann Marie and I were now sporting his sweats, and Tino was wearing a shirt that was a little too tight. The man was ripped. Marky was in his hospital gown and drugged to high heaven. He did a lot of mumbling about a kitty named puppy, or a puppy named kitty, not sure which, but he was definitely down for the count. He had been shot in the gut. It missed all his major organs, but they had done a lot of repair work on his intestines.

Aside from the occasional text Ann Marie got, we were in the dark. She never said what they meant, they were all in some kind of code, but she said they all meant the same, sit tight and wait.

We went from card games, to card houses, to card flicking. The hospital TV only had four channels and two were informational. We all knew the proper way to care for a newborn baby and how to do CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and basic first-aid.

Tino dug into the supply cabinets and made gauze balls to juggle and play hacky sack. We were in the middle of such a game when we heard a crash against the door and Joey yell, "Sister!" as it flew open. Ann Marie had her gun out, but that didn't stop the mess of a man from charging at me full force and lifting me into his arms. I whimpered when he hugged me too tightly, but refused to let go of him.

"Edward," I breathed out in relief.

"Christ, Eddie, I almost shot your head off!" Ann Marie scolded.

He set me down on the end of my bed and started to check me over. I kept a tight grip on his shirt, not letting him step away from me and kissing him softly every time he got close enough. He peeked under the bandage by my ear and grimaced when he took in the healing scabs from my bindings.

"She's alright, little Fort Knox is what we're calling her," Tino tried to reassure him with a grin.

Edward exploded. He flew right at Tino, hitting him so hard it knocked him across the room. "YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY! They take my girl, my wife, and torture her, and you think this is something to laugh about, to joke about because she's alive?"

"Edward!" I tried to get his attention. I was pushing him back, not letting him advance on Tino, and Ann Marie was doing her best to hold Tino back from getting revenge. "Edward, look at me." I was about ready to knee him if he went after Tino again. "He had nothing to do with this." He was pushing me forward like I wasn't even there, on his way to Tino. This wasn't going to end well if I didn't do something fast.

Edward looked at me shocked as he hit the floor.

"Settle down," I growled at him.

Tino went from snarling to laughing, but my glare told him he'd be next if he didn't shut up. I knelt down next to Edward on the floor and kissed his head, pulling it into my lap. "Tino's not the enemy." I brushed his hair back from his forehead. "This was not the greeting I was expecting. I thought some big sloppy kisses, a little groping, but you go off and deck Tino, and then I have to rack you in the balls before you got yourself beat half to death. I've got enough scars for the both of us. I don't want either one of us to get hurt anymore."

Edward turned his face into my stomach and wrapped his arm around me. I took it as forgiveness.

"Technically, she's my wife," Tino added.

Edward's grip tightened.

"Just on paper and not for long," I promised.

"I'm calling Victor. There's a little chapel in the hospital, you two should finally get it done for real, before anything else happens." Ann Marie had her phone out dialing. It was the first call she'd made since we were put on lockdown.

I helped Edward make it to the bed and kissed his face all over. I saw hints of yellowing from where bruises had healed. "What happened, baby?"

He smirked, "I got racked in the balls by my girl."

"No," I pouted and traced where he had the remnants of a black eye. "You look like you had it just as bad as me."

He looked so pained and shook his head no. He pulled me tight into his arms again, but noticed me cringe. "What's the matter?"

"My ribs are still healing. I'm fine, though, otherwise. Just a little bruised like you."

He kissed one of the cuts on my wrist. "No, not just bruised." I could tell he was getting worked up again.

"Hey, I got you now."

"I got here as fast as I could."

Ann Marie started to fill in the blanks. "We got word that Daniel and David got their hands on him and did a number on him before they locked him in their trunk. From the way Marcus tells it, Anthony didn't want Edward to interfere and knew short of killing him that nothing would keep him away as long as he was alive.

"The twins worked him over, and yet he was still fighting. Marcus convinced Anthony to let Joey sedate him. They were going to break his legs," Ann Marie cringed. "That in gave us the chance to know where he'd be going. Victor and Joey took care of all the paperwork."

Edward took over. "Victor set it up so a nurse would bring me notes, and I could send them back as well." He pulled me up on the bed with him, and I carefully curled around him, not sure if he had any other injuries.

"Marcus let me know he thought the twins might have you. He wasn't sure and went looking for you. I'm going to kill those bastards. No one is stopping me this time, not even my mother," he growled.

"Jesus, the twins did this to little Bell?" Tino sounded shocked.

"That's what Marcus said. They really did a number on Edward, too. He looked like a raving lunatic, and they had him committed to a mental hospital. I'm not sure how it worked out that they had her at the same time, though. Something doesn't add up," Ann Marie frowned, looking more worried than before.

"I swear I would've gotten here sooner if I could. They were giving me injections." Edward tucked his face into my neck. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sure Anthony was greasing a few palms to keep him on the injected sedatives instead of the pills. I can't see how that would normally be acceptable," Ann added distractedly. You could see she was still trying to piece things together in her head.

"The regular doctor got sick, so a different one was called in. He put me on pills, and it was easy for me to hide them in my mouth and keep them from sedating me. I stole a door keycard and broke into the staff locker room. I was able to find clothes and car keys. I swear I got here as fast as I could." He kept running his fingers through my hair, kissing my face all over softly.

My hand ran down his chest and I smirked. He was wearing a shirt with a reindeer on it. "Nice sweater."

He looked down at it and started laughing. "You know, I didn't even think to look at it." He looked down at his pants. They were made of an odd green polyester material with a weird texture, and they had a formal stitched crease down the front to keep them looking freshly pressed.

They were a bit short and looked to have an elastic waistband when he pulled at them, trying to get a better look. He started laughing even harder. "I think I stole old lady clothes."

"No doubt about it. Those are granny pants."

"I got hit by a grandma?" Tino sounded so appalled and amused at the same time.

"Shut up," Edward groused.

"Did you grab her underwear, too?" Tino teased.

"No, that's the one thing they let you keep in the nut house. Though I could've sworn I saw boxer briefs in the locker," he pulled at his reindeer shirt again.

"They were probably Spanx," Ann Marie said, like it was totally normal for Edward to be wearing old lady clothes. "I'll make sure Victor brings you some clothes. You can't get married in that," Ann Marie insisted.

I didn't blame her. I would marry Edward no matter what he was wearing, but I think he'd prefer not to be wearing granny's pilfered polyester. Despite his grandma clothes, I still snuggled with him on the bed. I realized that the sweater held a hint of Tea Rose perfume. It was pretty, but weird to smell on my man. It didn't matter, though. After so much excitement and then finally being in Edward's arms again, I fell fast asleep.

I woke to Edward's voice saying, "Just give me a minute."

I stretched across him and settled down on his chest, not wanting to get out of bed. I heard chuckling from across the room and peeked one eye open to see who it was.

"Hey there, little Knox, I see your eye open. Time to get up. I got Edward's clothes, and Ann has a few dresses for you to look at in the bathroom. "

I pressed my nose into Edward's chest, hiding my eyes. I felt his chest rumble with his laughter. His hands rubbed down my back. I knew he meant it to be comforting, but I flinched when he reached my stitched gash. He picked up on it right away and pulled up my shirt. I squirmed, trying to keep it down, but it was too late. "Jesus." His arms tighten around my shoulders, and his face pressed into my hair. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry."

"You see why we call her 'Fort Knox' now?" Victor spoke solemnly.

"Christ, Victor, you knew about this?" Ann Marie accused. I just now realized that she hadn't seen that gash or the others covered by my clothes. Joey always shut the curtain when he checked them out. She'd only seen my bruised and burned face and the cuts from my binding on my wrists. Everything else was covered.

"I didn't know anything. I only knew that Marcus hoped Anthony would show his hand if Edward was out of the way. When Joey gave me the report of her injuries…the damage…" He swallowed hard. "I knew she looked bad when I got her, but I thought the Feds would've looked after her better. At this point, they'll be lucky if I don't bankrupt the whole damn department and shut it down. As for Anthony, I have traces out on his car. He's still in the area. Marcus is trying to steady things so once he takes him out, there won't be a full-blown war amongst the brothers."

Tino was holding Ann Marie. I could tell she was upset. Edward distracted me when he ran his fingers through my hair and tipped my chin up so I'd look at his face. "Do you want to get married? You don't have to say yes. If you're not ready, we can wait."

I climbed up his body and kissed him like there was no one in the room with us. "I want to marry you."

His smile was brilliant. He pulled me down for another kiss.

"Hey, the honeymoon comes after," Tino razzed.

"Wait, I thought I was married to Tino? Doesn't that take a while to fix?"

"I didn't file my piece at the courthouse yet. It's not been recorded, so there's no reason to file for an annulment. Sorry, Tino, you're still a bachelor."

"That's too bad, I was gonna ask for spousal support, you know, alimony, only in the form of sandwiches. You can't leave me hungry, doll."

"I'll make you some sandwiches, to thank you for looking after me," I promised.

He blushed a little and shrugged, "Yeah, well, you know."

Joey knocked lightly and called through the door that it was grandma's sister, "Your great-great aunt," he clarified. The code was just getting better. He poked his head in and smiled. "It looks like your meds are wearing off. I talked to the hospital chaplain, and he said he'd be happy to do the wedding. He's ready when you are."

"You hear that, babe? If you want to back out, now's the time," Edward warned with a too-big grin. He knew for damn sure I wasn't backing out.

I sat up slowly, minding my sore body. "Do you mind helping me get ready?" I asked Ann Marie.

She answered with clapping hands and arm waving. "Come on, baby girl, let's get you dressed!"

You'd have thought I would've been a nervous mess, but after everything I'd gone through, one thing remained the same. I loved Edward more than anything, and I was going to marry him, come hell, high water, or insane fathers. He was mine.


	38. Chapter 38

**I was a little disappointed that no one commented on the nad kneeing, granny clothes, or sandwich alimony. I guess Edward and the wedding trump everything.**

**It's Dollybigmomma's birthday! Give her some love in the reviews! I love you, sweetheart, for more than just your beta skills.**

**Chapter 38 – Wedding Crashers**

**BELLA**

Ann Marie helped me pick a dress. She had one that was loose-fitting, and she confessed that it was a maternity dress. When she'd originally heard Edward and I were getting married, she wanted to be sure to cover all the bases, just in case. Then all hell had broken loose, and I was kidnapped. Now I was glad she'd thought I was pregnant, because all the other gowns were fitted and would have hit in all the wrong, painful places.

She told me to wait in the bathroom, while she grabbed some stuff for my hair. I peeked out the door and saw all the men adjusting their suit coats, flashing their double gun holsters as they moved. I leaned back against the bathroom wall, trying to calm myself. You would've thought the guns would calm my nerves, but they'd had them at the church during Marky's wedding and it didn't stop them. It didn't stop Anthony, he was still out there, and I knew he would come after me.

I jumped when I felt Ann Marie's hand on my face. "Sweetheart, are you alright? You don't have to do this."

"No…yes…I mean, I'm fine, I want to, I just…" I took in a deep breath and finally met her eyes, "I'm scared to leave the room," I confessed.

She carefully pulled me into her arms. "We've got you, baby girl. We're ready for him. We weren't before, but we are now. No one is going to hurt you." She held my chin in her hand and looked me right in the eyes when she said it.

"I didn't realize I was scared to leave," I whispered.

"Sometimes bad things happen in life, and they scare the shit out of us. It'll take a while to get over this, but you'll have us to help you. I promise it'll get better." I fought back my tears and gave her a teary, hopeful smile. "Now, I've got plans for that hair of yours."

I looked in the mirror and noted the gauze still on my ear. "I should probably keep it down," I pulled a little at it.

"I know just how to do this. You leave it to me. My god, it's so crazy to think you're gonna be my sister-in-law. Is that messed up or what?" she giggled making me smile. I needed the mood lightened.

She pinned my hair up on one side and had it come cascading down on my bad side, covering the gauze completely. She had stolen some of the get-well flowers from my bouquets and was tucking them into my hair. She powdered my face lightly, covering the bruises. I was so glad all my swelling had gone down. She stood me in front of the little bathroom mirror, smiling over my shoulder. "Beautiful, right? I know what I'm doing," she kissed my cheek. She peeked out of the bathroom door and asked, "Is it safe?"

"Yeah, Victor took the groom to the chapel. Me and Joey are taking the bride," Tino said with a smile. "I get to walk her down the aisle." I noticed he had a flower tucked into his lapel, and so did Joey.

Tino spun around and grabbed something from the hospital room windowsill. When he turned around, I saw it was a makeshift bouquet from one of my flower arrangements, and by the looks of it, it was from the larger one that he had given me. He really was a sweetheart. "You ready, baby girl?"

I nodded my head and barely managed a thank you, as I was so choked up. I leaned into him, giving him a one-armed hug, careful not to crush either of our flowers.

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright here, Ann Marie?" Joey sounded worried.

"It won't be for long, and I'm gonna kill anyone who isn't my great-great aunt. You remember that," she pointed at the three of us smiling.

I crossed the room and hugged her to me. "I wish you could be there." I saw her glance at Marky, and I squeezed her arm. "I understand why you can't. Thank you, for everything."

I gave her one last hug before I took Tino's hand. Joey stepped out of the door first, and then Tino moved me so I was in front of him and behind Joey.

Tino must have notice my nerves, because he stepped closer and put his hand on my shoulder. "We've got you, little Knox."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Victor brought us vests, and not the tux kind. We were gonna put one on you, but Ann Marie didn't think it went with the dress. It probably wouldn't help with your…you know…" he ran his hand down my back, stopping above my stitched gash.

"Yeah, thanks for thinking of me."

"Ah, little Knox, we all are always thinking of you."

Tino's talking distracted me long enough to get me to the chapel. Surprisingly enough, Victor was behind the organ and started the wedding march. I had no idea he played. I guess you learned something new every day.

Joey had me walk past him, so he was behind Tino, before Tino came up to my side, taking my arm. He walked me to the front and kissed the top of my head.

"Who gives this woman?" the priest asked.

"Her ex-husband." The priest looked downright startled. "We had it annulled, she's good to go." Tino kissed my hand and passed it to Edward.

Tino didn't back away. He just joined Joey, who was standing in front of Edward and me. The two of them blocked us from the view of the exit. "Keep it short and sweet, Father, we ain't got time for the good stuff."

"I'm Father O'Malley," the priest greeted me.

"I'm Isabella Marie Swan, and I'm here of my own accord."

He nodded, knowing I was getting right down to business. He read a few short bible verses, but I was so nervous, I didn't hear a word of it.

"This is a much shorter version, but still just as binding. You both must promise to take your holy covenants seriously, and promise to remain faithful, along with any children you may be blessed with."

Edward and I both answered affirmatively and then glanced to the doorway nervously. I think the Father got the idea that we needed to get a move on. He gave a short spiel on how Eve was made from Adam's rib, so she could walk beside him and under his arm for his protection. The bits I was able to focus on were beautiful.

I was relieved when he finally asked if we had vows, because I knew we were nearly done.

"I'm sorry, Father, we don't have time for vows here, but we'll express them when we're safe," Edward promised.

We finally got towards the end, and I realized we didn't have any rings when Father O'Malley mentioned them.

Victor surprised us by popping up from behind the priest and passing some rings to us. He gave me a wink as Edward placed the ring on my finger, and my hands shook badly as I slipped the ring on Edward's. The priest blessed our marriage, and then Edward kissed me in a way that wasn't proper in front of a priest, even if we were married.

"Come on; let's get you two back to the room."

I startled the priest when I hugged him and thanked him. We we're finally married, and there was nothing Anthony could do about it. We all signed our names on the license and passed it to Victor. "You be sure to file that one," Tino threatened.

Joey took a couple of pictures of us. I was so happy he'd thought of that. "Are you kidding me? Ann Marie would kill me if I didn't have something for her. I recorded the whole ceremony, though I don't know how good the quality is, since it's on my phone and I was aiming it from behind my back, not really looking at the shot I was getting."

I hugged Joey, "Thank you so much. I'd really love to listen to it when I'm not such a nervous wreck."

"I know what you mean. I didn't hear a word of my vows until after I got home," Victor teased.

"We need to get out of here. I've got a bad feeling, and my feelings are never wrong." Tino moved toward the exit and peeked around the corner. He jumped back. "Get down!"

Edward pulled me behind the pulpit and told the priest to run. "No matter what's going on, no matter what you hear, don't move from behind this spot. You hear me, Bella? Stay behind here, out of sight. I'll come get you when it's safe to come out."

I nodded, unable to breathe in deep enough to form words. He kissed me lightly on my lips. "I love you, Mrs. Masen, more than words."

"I love you, too," I squeaked out, and his answering smile was huge.

The first blast of a gun went off, jolting us out of our moment. I heard Tino swear, and I glanced toward the organ when another blast popped off from behind it. I saw Victor with his gun at the ready. I watched him take two shots and then drop back as wood splintered right by where he had been.

This was it, Anthony was here, and no one but Edward would be getting out of this alive if he had anything to say about it.

Victor popped off three more shots, making me jump each time.

The wood split by where he was hiding and he cussed. He had been shot in the leg, up high in the thigh. I could see from my position how bad it was bleeding. It had to have hit an artery.

I saw Edward step back between me and Victor. I looked up at Edward just in time to see a bullet hit his vest. He jolted back, and I heard Anthony scream, "NO, you stupid bastards!" He shot off, but in different direction. I crawled out and pulled Edward into my lap.

"I'm fine," he said pushing away from me.

He saw me look over at Victor and nodded, giving me permission to go. I dove behind the organ and glanced back just in time to see Edward get up.

**ANN MARIE**

"Grandma's aunt's sisters…shit, baby, it's me!" Marcus shouted as he rushed into the room. I was so relieved to see him. I was a wicked mess inside, knowing he had been out there tailing that psycho of a father of his, while I was stuck hiding in this room like he'd ordered.

I'd never minded this life much. We had our stress and our fair share of threats, but we'd always made it through unscathed. My baby being shot was nearly a deal breaker, though. It was only Marcus's vow to kill his father that made me rethink leaving him. Anthony had pulled a gun on Marcus more than once in the past, and it was only little Eddie's stepping in that had saved my husband. We owed him so much.

That last run to save Bella had me a mess. I knew Edward wasn't going to be around to save my husband, and when I found out Marcus had taken our son with him, I nearly shot him myself.

I wanted Marcus to retire, but I knew that wasn't an option. I'd seen what had gone on when Edward tried to stay in the dark. They didn't let you. Those brothers, that family, hell, even the rivals, they didn't let anyone disappear. If you had the Volturi name, you were a target. Marcus had lost four cousins that way. None were in the business, but they had those telling yellow eyes that people feared, the same eyes as my husband, the same eyes as my daughter. Little Marky had mine, but he still had the name, and there was no way in hell I'd risk my daughter's life.

No, we were stuck in this life, and we had to kill every last person who challenged us or be killed. There was no way I was sitting back in this fight any longer. That bastard had shot my boys, and he'd come after me and beaten me to a bloody pulp when my husband wasn't there. Marcus wanted to go after him then, but Luke talked him down and told him they had to do it safely. There couldn't be any repercussions. Marcus had to be in control when things went down, or the wrong brother might try and take us out to take over.

"Where is everybody?" Marcus asked checking the window. "We followed Anthony and your fucked-up twin brothers here. Luke is getting Aro's guys to help track them down."

"They went to the chapel."

"Help me move Marky to the far side of the room. We'll close the curtain around him and drop the bed down low. Hopefully, if they come in, he'll be safe."

I pulled out the bulletproof vests Victor had brought for us. I slipped mine on and lay Bella's over Marky. I passed the one Victor had brought for Marky to Marcus. "Put this on, I'm not losing you."

It was small, but it covered his major organs. What I was about to do would piss him off, but I wasn't risking my husband again. If something happened to him, my kids would be sitting ducks.

I leaned in and kissed him. "I love you so much. You remember that, no matter what, I love you."

"I know, baby." He kissed me back, squeezing me tight.

"I need to get something from my purse," I lied, so he'd release me.

I bolted straight for the door and took off running down the hall.

"Ann!" I heard his pained shout.

"Don't you dare leave our son!" I screamed back at him.

I stopped and peeked around the corner just in time to see Daniel shoot Aro and Anthony shoot David. Then the other guy with Aro shot Daniel in the head, but was then shot in the head by Anthony. They must have all had vests on, because everyone was going for head shots. My brothers were dead, and I knew I was screwed if I didn't hit my target the first time. There was no way in hell I was letting Anthony get away. That bastard was going down.

I peeked around the corner again and saw Edward standing in front of the pulpit. Anthony was smiling at him. "It's just you and me now, Son. I don't know where that little bitch is hiding, but I'm glad I got here before she did. She's not good enough for you."

There was a shot, and then another one.

"Shit! You're not a killer, Edward, just like your mother. God, that hurts like a bitch, though. I taught you well, fucking up my hands. That shit stings," I heard Anthony let out a pissed growl. "All the same, you're coming with me."

I wasn't letting him get away. I stepped around the corner just in time to see Edward shoot out Anthony's left knee, and as he aimed for the second one, I took my head shot. The large gun my husband had bought me for our anniversary showed no mercy. It ripped through Anthony's skull, leaving nothing behind. There was nothing left of that psycho's head.

"Fucking hell, I almost had him!" I looked to my left to see Tino, struggling to hold up a gun. His vest had taken an obvious three hits, and both his arms were fucked up and gushing blood, but he wasn't gonna lose Edward or Bella.

"Joey, fuck, where the hell is Joey?" He was the only one I trusted to save Tino.

"Over there, behind the bench. He took a shot at close range to the chest. It blew him back, knocking him out. I don't know if his vest saved him!" Edward shouted as he jumped over the pew. "He's out cold, but he isn't bleeding."

"Check his pockets for those wakeup capsules. The ones you use when you've fainted."

"Got it. Come on, Joey, wake up," Edward begged.

I heard my brother groan.

"Get over here, Joey," I called. "Fucking Tino's shot to hell."

Tino laughed a little. "Settle down, Ann, it doesn't hurt."

"That's not good, you stupid bastard." I didn't want to lose my brother. I couldn't lose my brother.

"Shout for a doctor. I need extra hands!" Joey ordered as he took my place.

I called for help, and then turned around when I heard Edward cry out, "No, Bella, no!"

I heard footsteps coming as I turned and ran to where Edward was. That boy couldn't lose his wife before he had her.

Edward held a blood-soaked Bella, unconscious in his arms. He was patting all over her body, looking for the wound. I looked down at Victor. There was a huge puddle of blood between the two of them. "Son of a bitch. Joey! Fuck, Joey, get over here!" I searched for a pulse on Victor, but didn't have a chance to find it before Joey shoved me out of the way.

"Snap a vial under Bella's nose and ask her where she's hurt. This blood is Victor's," Joey was tightening a belt that had already been cinched around Victor's leg.

I did as he said, moving out of the way as a couple of guys loaded Victor onto a stretcher. Bella jumped awake, flailing. "Victor, help Victor!"

"We've got him," I tried to calm her.

Edward was still a crying mess and nearly fought the guy trying to take Bella to put her on a stretcher. "Bella, oh God!" he cried.

"I'm fine." She looked down at her blood-soaked dress and grimaced, turning pale again. "I'm fine, it's just the blood."

She closed her eyes and looked away.

"The blood is making her sick," the guy who was pulling Bella from Edward's arms warned.

He started to fight, but Bella pushed Edward away. "I'm fine. I swear it. Let them clean me up. Go take care of your brother."

"I've got another live one here. Get me a bed, now!" I heard another man shout from across the room. He was over Aro's body.

I jumped to his side, hoping Aro would make it. I didn't think Dora would be able to handle losing him. He had been shot in the neck, and I hoped they could save him. Marcus had said that Dora was stable, but I had a feeling a loss like this would kill her. I got right next to Aro's ear, so he could hear me. "You hang on, you crazy bastard. Dora needs you, and you know it. Don't you dare die on her, you hear me? Dora needs you. You hang on." I was pushed out of the way as he was loaded and rushed down the hall.

This was a fucking nightmare, but, God forgive me, Anthony was finally dead.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39 – Aftermath**

**Bella**

Ann Marie and Edward stayed with me as I was checked out and cleared to go home, or released into Joey's care. My bloody dress was removed, and Ann Marie said she was going to clean it. She had a lot of experience with blood removal. "Not our family's blood, right?" I worried.

"No, baby, we always have the upper hand. Things just tend to splatter," she shrugged.

Marcus had been furious. When we returned to Marky's room, he spanked Ann Marie so hard, I was sure it bruised. "Don't you _ever_ run off like that again!" he shouted so loud it could be heard down the halls, and so could his sobbing cries.

Later on, I peeked in on Marky again and found his father holding vigil by his bed, with his wife in his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Both their eyes were red and swollen. I knew they needed their privacy, because they were still working through her taking off on him.

Tino and Victor were moved into the same room together, after they had been "discharged against doctor's orders" so Joey could keep an eye on them with fewer questions being asked. There would be no cops sneaking in to ask questions, because they were supposedly at home. Joey himself only had a minor concussion and a bruised chest. He was released fairly quickly and set about getting his brothers out of the regular doctor's care.

Edward settled me into Tino and Victor's room. Victor had had his artery patched up and a couple of pints of blood pumped into him. He swore he was feeling great, but Joey wanted to keep him still. He was worried that the artery patch might pop.

Tino, on the other hand, was in worse shape than we'd thought. Between his blood loss and muscle damage in both arms, he ended up going into shock. They were able to get things under control. He had reconstructive surgery on his left arm, taking a strip of muscle from his leg to replace the nearly non-existent muscle. His right arm wasn't as bad, but still needed a patch job. I promised I'd pay him his sandwich alimony, if he did his best to get better.

Luke was in and out, ever quiet and secretive. He whispered with Victor and Joey and then nodded at Tino. He let us know he'd be with Marcus if we needed anything. I wasn't happy when Edward picked up the bag Luke had dropped off and pulled out vests and guns. He was careful about getting it on Tino, and Victor tried shooing his help away, but Edward helped him put his on anyway. What I didn't expect was for him to put a vest on me. He did it gently, making sure not to irritate my wounds, and then he strapped a gun holster on me as well. "Don't fire unless you're sure of your shot."

"Why do we need guns? Anthony's gone."

"Demetri isn't, and he's going to try and make a play for power while Marcus' men are down. Luke said Aro's guys had our backs. Aro's wife, Dora, was a mess after he was admitted into her room for recovery. She's insisted he step back and not be so involved. Demetri is a crazy son of a bitch. Aro doesn't trust him as far as he can throw him. We're all pretty sure he has Anthony's crazy gene."

I tried to settle down, but I was worried all hell would rain down on us. Between Demetri and the mess we'd made in that little chapel, I knew shit would hit the fan soon. "What story are we supposed to give when they come to question us about what happened in the chapel?"

Victor laughed. "Oh, honey, that's long been taken care of. We have a couple of boys on payroll. They took the surveillance video, determined it was self-defense, and then destroyed the evidence. They'll field any follow-up calls about the case from the doctors and get paid a hefty amount to keep their mouths shut."

"And you're sure they will?" I squeezed Edward's hand, worried for my new family.

"They know what happens if they talk." Victor took my free hand and kissed it. "Everything is going to be fine, Bella, I promise. We just have to get rid of Demetri, and then all will be well in paradise," he said with a big goofy grin. I had a feeling Joey had him on some good painkillers.

Luke popped in and gave us a smile. "How are the newlyweds? Once we get the outside of the hospital secure, we'll get you out of here and on a honeymoon."

"Then who'll watch over Victor and Tino? We can't leave now."

Luke laughed at me and pulled me into a hug. "God, we really struck gold with you." He kissed my forehead and patted my good cheek. "You take care of her, Edward, or I'm gonna beat your ass," he threatened with a smile.

There was a knock on the door. "Michael Angelo," was whispered through it. Luke opened it with a smile and pulled in a man I didn't know. "Dora wants to see the new couple." He gave us a smile that seemed genuine.

"We should bring flowers," I insisted. For some reason, everybody laughed. I was able to convince Luke to run down and get some flowers from the gift shop. The new guy, Emmett, filled us in on Dora and Aro's condition. Aro was going to be fine, but his vocal cords had been shot to hell, literally. He couldn't speak, but could write us notes. He wouldn't be able to do more than whisper once he was fully healed. They'd tried to patch and reconstruct what was left of his vocal cords, and it was because of a skilled surgeon's deft handiwork that Aro would be able to whisper at all.

Edward and Emmett flanked me as we walked to Aro and Dora's room. Emmett did a fancy door knock and then opened the door for us.

"Bella, Edward, come give me some love. Are these for me?" Dora asked, taking the flowers and sniffing them, before she set them on the side table. She pulled me into her arms and hugged me. "It's finally official. I knew my baby brother would grab you up as soon as possible."

We heard finger snapping, and a smiling Aro caught our attention, waving us over. When he saw we were moving his direction, he scribbled something down on a notepad. "_Look at that beautiful bride. She owes me a kiss for luck_," he pointed to his cheek.

I giggled. Aro was not the hard-ass I'd imagined him to be. I kissed his cheek, and he took my hand and kissed it. When he pulled back, he noticed the scabbing from the binding cuts. He frowned and snapped his fingers, getting his wife's attention. He held up my wrist and pointed to it.

"I'm fine, really," I tried to brush it off, embarrassed.

"No you're not. I'm your husband now, and I talked with Joey." Edward pulled me back into his arms. "Six cracked ribs, hairline fractures to her parietal and zygomatic bones, for starters," he pointed to my head and then under my black eye. I could see Aro looking angrier and angrier with each injury pointed out to him. "Second and third degree burns…"

When Edward pointed to my ear, I turned away. "Please stop."

"Thirty-seven stitches and sixteen deep lacerations from her ties," he continued.

"Edward, please."

I heard a loud clap and looked up to see Aro pointing down to his notepad. He was making hand gestures, but I wasn't sure what they meant. The guy he was making them toward seemed to know exactly what they were, though. "Sure thing, Boss."

I looked over to Dora, hoping for a reprieve, but found her sniffling through her tears. "Oh, sweet baby girl, I'm so sorry. I swear we'll make sure you're safe."

I was beginning to worry. I'd thought I was in the clear, since Anthony and the twins were dead. I was missing something.

When we returned to Victor and Tino's room, I overheard Luke whisper the name Demetri. The way he said it, with distain, had me concluding that this was the threat that was left.

The fancy reclining chair was pulled out to make a bed for me, and Joey gave me some painkillers, ordering me to rest. My body was still healing, and he didn't want me overdoing it. I coaxed Edward into the chair with me, knowing I'd sleep better in his arms. I was out quickly, the painkillers working their magic.

I knew it was much later when I woke, because the sun was no longer shining through the window. The men hadn't noticed me wake, since my back was to them. I closed my eyes and played asleep, listening to them talk.

"We're sure now it was Demetri that snatched her from the church. At some point after you were passed off to Anthony, she was given to the twins. The bastards were working with Demetri, with plans to double-cross Ant and take over. James was squealing like a pig when we got our hands on him. He was one of the guys who played a fake FBI agent, trying to get her to talk. Demetri has Dr. Sorrento on his payroll. He convinced Ant to use him instead of Joey, because they both knew he'd flip his shit if they saw what they'd done to her. James, Vince and Laurent need to go, before we take out Demetri. We can't have them warning the bastard. Marcus has them in the clean room. Aro wants a crack at them. You want in, Edward?" Luke asked him.

I squeezed him tight in my supposed sleep. I felt his hand run through my hair. "I don't think she's gonna let me out of her sight. I don't want to let her out of mine." His arms tightened around the safe spots on my hips and shoulders. He knew better than to go anywhere near my gash and ribs. I sighed, snuggling into his chest. I was starting to doze off again. "Make sure you bust their knees for me, and then give them the same shit she had to go through. They weren't the fuckers who did it, but they didn't stop it. They know the rule, they know not to touch our girls, wives, goomahs, or girlfriends, and they knew for damn sure she was mine. Kill them, but do it slowly," he growled, his body tense. It was a far cry from the idea of the Snow White persona I'd originally had of him, but I found his anger and defensiveness where I was concerned comforting. It was the same with how all of his family had claimed me, even his Uncle Aro. I might have still been in danger, but I felt oddly safe. I was pretty sure it was the medicine Joey had me on, since before, I could barely leave my room, and now I just felt warm and fuzzy.

I felt something hard when I shifted to his side. There was a snap and Edward mumbled, "Hold this one for me. I'll put it back when she wakes."

"You should probably take your other one off, too," Luke suggested. I had taken my holster off to sleep, but Edward still had his on. His guns didn't bother me when I was snuggled in the middle of his chest.

"This one's fine. I'll swap it if she moves to the other side." I felt him wiggle my vest a little. They wouldn't let me take it off. I was sure now that Joey had given me something good, because if I had been in my right mind, I would have been too freaked out to sleep. I'd yell at Joey when I woke up again, but I was too tired to do it now.

The last thing I heard was Edward's voice, "I think we'll both feel better if we can get her back home. It'll be easier for me to take care of her there. I think a little solitude will do us both good." That sounded pretty good in my jumbled mind.


	40. Chapter 40

**Dollybigmomma did the beta shuffle all over this chapter.**

**I signed up to donate a one shot to Fandom for ****Leukemia ****& Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.**

**Chapter 40 – Happily Ever After**

I woke up feeling warm. My eyes were protesting against the light. It was awfully bright wherever the hell I was. There was a cool breeze, so I knew I wasn't in the hospital. I heard the familiar chirping of birds and chattering of squirrels.

I finally peeked one eye open and saw I was in the cabin's back yard. I was laid out on the chaise lounge, and Edward was stretched out on the couch. He had his eyes closed, too, and I wondered if we had been somehow teleported here, because it sure didn't make any sense to be here. I didn't remember anything after falling asleep in the hospital room.

My body was stiff, and I still felt groggy as I stumbled over to Edward and flopped down on him, not completely on purpose. He groaned, but then looked up at me smiling. "Hey, wife, I see you finally decided to wake up."

"What are we doing here?"

"Honeymoon, this is pretty much the safest place to be."

"Why are we outside?"

"Well, I wanted you to be awake for when I carried you over the threshold. It's kind of a big thing, and since the other wedding stuff was…I just wanted to do it." He blushed, looking so damn sweet.

"How long have I been asleep out here?"

He looked at his watch, "Only about twenty minutes. Let's get inside. I have a prescription for pain medicine if you need it."

I walked up the back steps, but was snatched up before I could go inside. "Right, over the threshold," I said grinning. "This means we can have sex, right? We were married before, but now we're really married, so you're gonna put out."

Edward guffawed at my horny tirade. He carried me straight into the bedroom and laid me down. "Well, my dirty bride, you strip down, and I'm gonna look you over to make sure everything is healing, and then you'll do the same for me, and once we both know each other's tender zones, then we can get down to the honeymoon part of the day."

"You don't have to ask me twice." I was pretty sure those painkillers were still in effect, because I ripped my clothes off like a speed demon and felt no discomfort. I was ready to spin Edward in a circle, taking a quick glance at his body, and then jump on him. I expected him to do the same, but he didn't. His inspection consisted of him kissing each and every inch of my body. I was writhing by the time he was done, and it wasn't in pain.

He had me stretched out across his bed, our bed, and was thoroughly checking my nipples. I was begging him to check my pussy with his cock. I called it his pussy checker, causing him to chuckle on his way up to my lips. I felt his tip brushing against me, and I pressed down, trying to coax it in.

"Baby, you need to settle down. Do you want me to wear a condom?" I looked up at him confused. "You're not on birth control. If we have sex, you might get pregnant, are you okay with that? I am, if you are." He pressed his tip forward a little more and kissed me again. I didn't have all my brain cells firing yet. Between him making me crazy and that medication, I didn't quite catch the question until he was buried in me, but two more strokes in and I didn't care anymore. This was Edward, and he was mine. All that mattered was that he was with me. Whatever the future held for us would be perfect as long as we were together.

He had hooked my legs around him and then lifted me off the bed, cradling me in one arm while rocking me under him. In this position, none of my lacerations rubbed. He must have taken time to plan this out to come up with this position, and I really, really liked it.

For the next month, we put the honey in honeymoon. We kept Edward's phone close, and he promised me that his family swore to call if there was a death or another major injury, but otherwise, they weren't going to call to chat, and they dare not visit. When I voiced my worry, he reminded me that it wasn't uncommon to leave newlyweds alone for the first year of marriage, they were doing the same, and no news was good news. He then did his best to distract me from my worry and kept on it with a vengeance.

We somehow turned it into a competition, at which he was beating me. I brought him breakfast in bed first, and ever since then, we'd both been trying to wake before the other to bring them breakfast. What once was a nearly 10:00 A.M. wakeup was shifted to 7:30 A.M. breakfast, which he brought in with a huge stack of bacon. It was his odd way of gloating.

He moved the kitchen table to the other side of the couch so we'd have a large empty space to dance. I suspected Edward could be wicked romantic, which I was right, and he was amazingly good at sweeping me off my feet, literally. He also could remove my clothes like a pro. One second I was dressed, the next minute I was holding on while he pounded me like a railroad spike, and my god, it was good. I hadn't been kidding when I'd told Jasper that Edward was hung, and he was. He might not have employed his famous Volturi charm before we were married, but he sure as hell did after. He could just give me that look, and I was on him like white on rice, begging him. Thank god he never made me beg for long.

It was pond cleaning day, and it was still my job. I sent him out to refill the deer trough, and I put on my "pond cleaning outfit" that consisted of his boxers and a bra. He had no clue what was coming. I knew he heard the door close, and I glanced at him dumping the last bag, as I made my way over to the pond. I lifted my foot to step into it, but it never hit the water.

"What are you doing, wife?" I was pressed hard against his body, with his cock pinned between us. One arm was clamping me against his chest; his hand holding firmly to my breast, and his other was in his favorite place…mine, too.

By the time he set me down on the chaise lounge, I was naked and moaning. I was an idiot to think Edward would be naïve about sex, because he was nowhere near it.

"Did you want something, little girl? Was this your way of asking me to help clean your pond?"

I nodded yes, still gasping from the breath-stealing kiss he'd given me. He worked his way down from my mouth and took his torturous sweet time making sure every inch of my breasts were "clean." His fingers traced my sides and thighs lightly, not helping me catch my breath. I was a moaning, begging mess. He loved for me to beg him to touch my pussy. It was his favorite pastime since that first time, when I begged for his pussy checker to check my pussy. The evil man would work me up, playing with my clit, but stop just before I could orgasm. That was exactly what he did as he carried me to the lounge, and he hadn't touched it since he'd laid me out naked.

I'd found I had a much wilder streak than even I could have predicted. He was driving me insane with his slow-moving kisses down my thigh. I grabbed his head in both my hand and stuck it where I wanted it. "Please!" I begged and he chuckled, looking up at me with those dark eyes and a wicked grin. "Please what, baby?" he asked with his hot mouth just brushing against me as he spoke. I writhed under him.

"Edward, please, please, eat my pussy."

"It _is_ lunch time," he contemplated, his mouth still teasing me. He heard me whimper and had mercy. "This is my favorite food, served in my favorite dish." He gave me that wicked grin, telling me to beg more, but I decided to turn the tables.

"I made it just for you. You're the only one I cook for, husband."

His mouth was on me, tongue deep, and then fingers. He devoured my pussy, making me scream the birds right out of the trees, which he found amusing, until I kissed him like mad. He loved when I kissed him after he went down on me.

As soon as I yanked him up to my lips, he groaned. I felt him squirm against me, trying to find his way in. I played like I was going to help and tickled the hell out of his beautiful abs. "Was there something you wanted, husband?"

He grabbed my hips and shocked me in the most wonderful way, when he plunged into me hard and deep. "Just what's mine, wife."

His body was beautiful, and my hands couldn't hold still, and neither did his as he rocked into me. He'd learned all my triggers and bit my nipple, making me cry out and getting me so teasingly close to my orgasm. I, in turn, grabbed his glorious ass and showed my appreciation for its tight form. I bit his nipple, copying his move, and he started swearing up a storm. Edward didn't swear any other time, and it was a hell of a lot of fun making him cuss.

One of his hands moved to my clit and his mouth to my neck. His hot panting, licking and kissing made me rock harder against him. He had me whining like a porn star, before he kissed me and pounded me even harder. The position on the lounge felt so much like I was riding him, I really didn't last long when he shifted from the shallow working-up strokes he used to build me up, to the deep pounding ones that showed no mercy. My body gripped him, holding on for dear life, and he wouldn't let up until my screaming turned to gasping. He'd get that wicked grin on his face, taking another pump or two, before he came hard and beautiful, and then he rested over me, his elbows framing my face. "Pussy thoroughly checked and in magnificent condition," he teased in between kisses.

"Magnificent is right."

Our newlywed activities really made it hard to do anything. When he wasn't being romantic, leading us up to sex, we were having sex, and when we weren't having sex and were trying to work, I had a lot of fun teasing the hell out of him, but it wasn't really teasing, more like a taunting invitation that he gladly always took.

It was a good three months after our return to the cabin that our phone rang. I think both of our hearts stopped for a moment, before he dove for it. He let out a sigh of relief, "Sure, Jane, we'll be there shortly." He hung up and smiled, "Mail call, that's all."

We made it in to the little town, and when I went to slide out his door, he wrapped my legs around his hips and scooped me up by my ass to carry me into the post office. He kissed me the whole time as we crossed the parking lot and didn't even let up when he walked in the building.

He finally let up when we reached the counter, and we heard Jane clear her throat. I pushed him away giggling and slid down his front, feeling that happy bump on the way. He turned me around and kept my back pressed to his chest as he greeted Jane. "Jane, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Bella."

I held out the hand with my wedding ring to shake. Victor hadn't been messing around when he'd bought that thing. I could use it to signal incoming ships to shore. She shook my hand, giving me a tight grin and offered us congratulations.

Once we made it out of the post office, he then proceeded to kiss the hell out of me, not letting me get all the way in the truck. We heard someone knock on the side of the truck and came up for air.

"I see you got a ring on her finger, Edward. She could land planes with that thing," fireman guy said. I couldn't remember his name and didn't care to.

"Yup, I married Bella a few months back, and we were just heading home."

"Did you need to do any controlled burning out at your place?"

"Nope, not yet, maybe in another few months. We've been a little too busy to generate much trash lately." I couldn't help but giggle at Edward's response. He shoved me back in the truck to buckle up and climbed in next to me. "See you later," he waved off fireman guy, and we hurried home so we could not generate trash some more.

He was singing me a song, dancing with me in the kitchen that evening while our dinner cooked in the oven, when we were interrupted by another phone call.

I quickly answered it this time, being closest to it. "Hello?" I was sure I sounded as panicked as I felt.

"It's Ann Marie, baby girl, everything's fine, we're all fine. I was just calling to let you know that everything's settled. It's safe to come for a visit, and Dora, Teresa, Mama Masen, and I have a reception planned for you two next week."

"They're fine, everything's fine," I told Edward in relief. "It's over, it's all over, and they're planning a reception for us next week."

Ann Marie asked me what my favorite cake flavor and flowers were. Edward mumbled into my neck that I was his favorite flavor and started to prove it, making it very difficult to hear and respond to anything she was saying.

"Give the phone to my brother," she ordered.

I passed the phone to him, really just held it to his ear, while he continued to attack my body in the most wonderful way. After a few moments, he took it from my hand and hung it up.

"What…?" I tried to ask.

"She said I was a horny shit, and to be there at seven on Saturday," he mumbled on my breast.

We did make it on time to the reception. His mother and sisters dressed me up like it was my wedding day, and they wore bridesmaid dresses themselves. Tino picked me up from the little side room, and I was led out into a large ballroom, where Edward was waiting in a tux with Victor, Joey and Luke at his side. Tino once again led me up the aisle. I gently held his good arm. He kissed my cheek, and a judge performed a little ceremony where we exchanged vows.

We had already been married before, but were now able to share it all with family. The reception was loud and fun. We were sat in one corner of the room so everyone could greet us.

There were a lot of people I didn't know. Edward said it was his family's way of making sure all the men knew who to protect. The group was huge, now that it was combined with Aro's crew. Tino introduced me to his fiancée, Angela. She was his physical therapist. The size of the grin he wore when he said physical therapist made me believe she was working with more than just his arm.

Aro came through the line with Dora and hugged and kissed us, whispering his love and support for us both. Dora was a crying happy mess of tears on his arm and kept kissing his cheek every few words they spoke to us. The last words he whispered to us before he moved on were, "Finally, we have peace." His grin was huge and his hug tight. I knew his words were true.

Marcus brought forward the man who'd taken us to Aro's room in the hospital all those months ago. His name was Emmett, and he had his arm around a beautiful blonde. "I just wanted to introduce you to Emmett. He's second in my crew now, so if you got problems and this guy shows up, don't shoot him," Marcus teased.

Emmett laughed and deep dimples accented his smile. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't shoot me, so would my wife, Rose." She stepped forward and hugged us. She didn't look like a mob wife. More like a regal princess, but her easy genuine smile made her fit right in, and Ann Marie seemed to love her, too.

Marky came through the line alone, carrying his son. "Where's your wife?" Edward wondered.

"She got called in to help with a surgery," he smiled widely. "Turned out she wasn't a stupid whore after all. She was cleaning houses to put herself through school. She's learning to be a fucking doctor and is a resident at Joey's hospital. I really lucked out with her. I'm shocked she even agreed to marry me, honestly, between me being a dick and her being amazing," he wore a goofy grin on his face.

Edward gave him a man hug, and I kissed his son's head. "I'm so glad it worked out for you."

"Yeah, I'm glad it worked out for you, too." He patted my cheek and fake punched Edward in the gut, before he moved on.

The reception was loud, rowdy and wonderful. I loved it and so did Edward. I had a great time and was exhausted by the time we got home. I flopped on the bed next to him and cuddled into his side. "So, would you mind if someone else delivered our baby? I think Joey doing it would just be a little weird."

"It's safe now. You can have anyone one you want…" He sat straight up in bed and looked over at me, "Baby?" He jumped on me, laughing, "Really?"

"We've been having unprotected sex for six months now and you're surprised?"

"No, yes, no, I love it!" he squealed making me giggle.

Anthony had left his money to be split between his four sons equally, but Demetri's portion was given to us as well. Edward used it to pay for a larger house to be built on our land, one with plenty of rooms for our family to grow. We were still good Catholics after all. I was thankful for Edward's foresight to build our new home on the far side of the property, away from the cabin, because we were still loud. Our little cabin was now our guesthouse and also our getaway, when we could get Mama Masen and his father to visit or to babysit. They were wonderful grandparents, and I felt sorry for my own parents, who never forgave me for getting involved with a family who was worth the risk of running the interference I would never regret.


	41. Chapter 41 Anthony's Story

**The back story on Anthony Volturi is sad. I hope this explains some of his crazy. A lot of people asked about him, so I thought I'd give a little background on the insane antagonist.**

**STRAIGHT-UP INTERFERENCE OUTTAKE: THE REASON BEHIND THE CRAZY THAT WAS ANTHONY VOLTURI**

Anthony Volturi was forced into an arranged marriage, where he had three sons, Marcus, Aro, and Demetri. But he didn't love his wife; he was with her out of obligation. He was really in love with a girl named Tanya Masen, who had no connections. She was everything to him, and she even wore a wedding ring he gave her, even if they couldn't marry. He wore a matching band on his right hand for her as well. He adored her and would have happily run away with her, but he had family obligations. He was still allowed to keep her as his goomah and spent his free time with her, neglecting his wife and his three boys.

Once he found out Tanya was pregnant with Edward, he doted on her, madly in love, excited for his son to be born, a son he actually wanted, who wasn't born for a power move, but out of love.

His neglect for everything, including his job, led to a war. He couldn't send Tanya to the safe house with his wife and kids, so he had one arranged just for her. She was just a couple of weeks shy of her due date. He was worried that the stress would cause her to go into labor, so her safe house was in town, close to the hospital. He wasn't supposed to have a traceable phone, so he got an untraceable one especially for her, so she could call him if she went into labor.

She called him just as someone broke into her safe house, and he listened to her get shot, and she was dying as he rushed as fast as he could to her. He thought there might still be a chance to save her, but the doctor pronounced her dead on arrival, but surprisingly, their baby was still alive inside her and was delivered. The three days he sat in the hospital with his newborn son, he realized that someone had to have given up her position. That if they were going to make a power move, they would have attacked his wife and boys, but this was personal, this was vindictive and not a move his rivals would have made. He immediately suspected his wife, because she was a hateful bitch whom he despised. He knew he couldn't bring baby Edward home and didn't know what to do. He didn't want to lose him, but if someone was out to hurt him by taking Tanya from him, he knew they would try and take Edward from him next.

Anthony ran into Edward Masen, Tanya's brother, who was at the hospital with his wife, Elizabeth. They had just lost their unborn son, when Elizabeth was hurt in a bad car accident. Anthony realized that his son, the baby's mother, Tanya, and her brother, the baby's Uncle Edward, had the same hair color. His little peach fuzzy head made him miss his Tanya, but he knew that Edward Masen Sr. loved his sister, and Edward Masen Sr. knew how much Anthony loved Tanya and agreed to take their son.

Anthony explained that it wasn't safe for his son right now, and he needed to be hidden. He cried the night he passed his son over to Elizabeth. Two weeks later, he confirmed it was his wife and two men he considered traitors who had killed Tanya. All three were killed, and Anthony showed no mercy when he killed them, even his wife.

He couldn't handle staying away from his baby boy and would drive past daily. Elizabeth recognized his car and would have Ann Marie sit out on the front porch with Edward, so Anthony could see his son.

Marcus was with Anthony a time or two and noticed how his father slowed when he went past the Masen house and how his eyes would water. Out of curiosity, he approached Ann Marie Masen and they started dating. Too much attention was brought to Edward with his father driving past and Marcus dating Ann Marie. Some of Anthony's dead wife's family figured out that Edward was the son of Anthony and his goomah, Tanya. They wanted to get revenge. His wife's death was suspicious. They kidnapped Edward, trying to make him confess his parentage and tortured him. Anthony went in with Luke and Tino to save Edward, but he actually went bat shit crazy then and killed not only everyone where they were, but went on to kill all of his dead wife's immediate family, so they wouldn't pull that shit again. The strong response to the kidnapping stuck in a few people's mind, and that was when Edward was deemed Anthony's weak spot and a target.

Edward was the last and only thing he had from the love of his life, and each time someone tried to take him or hurt him, Anthony went just a little more crazy. He realized if Edward married Bella, he'd want to leave and disappear from his father's life forever, and Anthony just couldn't handle that, prompting his attack on Bella.

**So that's Anthony's sad story. He didn't want to give up the last connection he had to Tanya, his true love.**


End file.
